Le Recommençant
by HeadInTheClouds427
Summary: Draco and Gemini Malfoy have been there for each other since Gemini just barely beat Draco out of the womb 18 years ago. In the aftermath of the war which nearly tore their family apart, Draco and Gemini must find a new normal while carrying out their individual criminal sentences. 8th year goodness. Harry PotterxOC DracoTwin! Dramione added for color.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 **A/N:** This story is the direct result of a fascination I've always had with the idea of Draco Malfoy having a sister. I've spent many hours searching this site and others for stories to satisfy this interest, but come up a bit short. I finally decided that since I want to read this particular story so damn bad, I had better just write it myself. I'm extremely busy at the moment (taking GMAT, applying to business schools, working 60+ hours a week, caring for new puppy…) so all time I spend writing this is a detraction from all the things I should really be doing. As such, I will rely **heavily** on support and encouragement from reviews, in order to keep posting. Also, I don't speak any French so the little French you'll see in this fic is all courtesy of Google translate. I apologize in advance for that. Moral of the story: if you want more, please say so in the comments box!

 _ **Le Recommençant**_

 **Chapter 1**

 **Summer 1989 – Malfoy Manor**

"Gemini! Geeemmmiiinniii," Draco yelled. "Come on Gemi. It's no fun when you play the scared, hiding muggle. Come out and face your doom."

The sound of a branch breaking above him alerted Draco to the location of his prey, but it was too late. No sooner had he looked up to try and spot Gemini than he felt his feet swept from under him and himself flying up in the air, having been caught in his sister's trap.

"Ha, muggle trumps wizard today!" exclaimed Gemini, jumping down from the tree above.

"A muggle did not win, Gemini. You did, so wizard still trumps muggle. Now put me down, before I tell Father you were singing muggle praises."

"Oh, posh! You would not tell father on me. If you did, I'd end up getting extra lessons as punishment and wouldn't be able to play with you" Gemini retorted still enjoying having the upper hand.

"Let me down, Gemi. This net is dirty. Where did you get this thing anyway?" whined Draco.

Beginning to untie the rope anchoring the trap, Gemini responded, "I found it in the barn while I was playing 'scared, hiding muggle'. You're lucky I'm so nice, because it was way dirtier when I found it. I actually hosed it down before laying this trap. I figured you might be a bit annoyed if you ended up wrapped in horse dung."

"Yes, how 'nice' of you," Draco muttered as he landed in an ungraceful heap on the grass below.

"Well, looks like my mercy has worn off and I'm bored with this game. I always win anyway. Let's go see what Dobby has for snacks," Gemini called over her shoulder, stomping back towards the house without waiting for a response. Draco rolled his eyes as he dusted himself off and followed behind his unruly sister.

The late afternoon sun shone through the kitchen bay window, casting an orange glow about the room as a team of house elves tittered back and forth preparing the afternoon tea. Dobby caught the young Malfoys at the door, halting their entrance into the immaculate kitchen.

Taking in their dirty and disheveled appearance, Dobby exclaimed, "Young master and mistress are dirty and must wash up at once! Your mother is expecting you in the drawling room for tea at any moment and will be very upset to find you have ruined your new robes."

In a manner which belayed years of practice, both children moved to stand squarely in front of Dobby and held their arms out to their sides to give the small elf complete access to their tattered clothing and mud stained cheeks. With a snap of his fingers and a wave of his hand, their clothes began to sew themselves together and rearrange into their original states. Taking first Gemini's hands and then Draco's, Dobby erased the dirt from their nail beds and cleaned the mud from their faces.

"That's better. Now you better report to your mother or she'll come looking for you," Dobby squeaked.

"Or worse, she'll send Father looking for us…" Gemini whispered to Draco as they moved in the direction of the drawling room.

Tea with their mother progressed as many had before it. Narcissa liked to begin the afternoon ritual by taking in her children's appearances, making sure to point out any flaws so her children would grow into the finely groomed purebloods they were.

"Gemini, I told you yesterday and every day before that to leave your hair down! Why must you insist on piling your beautiful hair into that unsightly mop on top of your head?" exclaimed Narcissa.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I had pulled my hair up while Draco and I were playing. I forgot how much you like it down," muttered Gemini whose steel gray eyes were staring intently at the Oriental rug below her.

"Yes, playing outside… You know your father would have me believe you and Draco do too much playing and not enough studying," their mother tsked. "Take a seat."

After adjusting the napkin in her lap and pouring herself a cup of tea, Narcissa turned to Draco, "Draco, comment vont vos études en français? (Draco, how are your French studies going?)"

While her brother began an unsteady but flowing dialogue in French, Gemini frantically tried to remember her go-to French phrases and the principle conjugations she would need in order to trick her mother into believing she was making even half the progress her tutor, Madame Leroy, said she was. It had taken Gemini a mere week to convince their latest tutor that complying with Gemini's wishes was best for everyone involved. It had been rather easy to feign the necessary bruises and make up a convincing story of how 'Madame Leroy's negative reports to her parents had caused her father to fly into a rage and give her twenty lashings then push her down the stairs.' Madame Leroy had been so horrified that no matter how badly Gemini continued to butcher the language, Leroy would give the elder Malfoys positively glowing reports of Gemini's progress. The story even helped to improve Draco's marks, as Leroy worried that negative feedback for him could meet the same end. Of course, Gemini had elected not to tell Draco about the leverage she had gained with the tutor, so Draco continued to make an effort in the lessons.

Satisfied with Draco's progress, Narcissa turned to Gemini, "Gemini, votre tuteur dit que vous faites de grands progrès. Le trouve cela difficile à croire, car votre dernier tuteur a été d'avis que vous n'obtiendriez jamais la fluidité. Qu'est ce qui a changé?"(Gemini, your tutor says you are making great progress. I find this difficult to believe, as your last tutor was of the opinion that you would never obtain fluency. What changed?)

Having only caught the words 'tutor', 'progress', and 'change', Gemini stared blankly at her mother for a moment. Rather than answering immediately, she pretended to choke slightly on the scone she had been nibbling and erupted into a coughing fit. With Draco smirking in the chair next to her, Gemini took a sip of her tea, cleared her throat and said, "Oui, mère, vous prenez beaucoup de progrès sur l'étude en français. Madame Durand était un tapis et Madame Leroy mange du fromage."(Yes, mother you are taking much progress on French study. Madame Durand was a carpet and Madame Leroy eats cheese).

Straining a smile at her mother, Gemini took another sip of her tea. Narcissa raised an eyebrow at her daughter's unintelligible response and said, "Yes, well it does appear this conversation is best continued in English. I suggest you redact whatever ridiculous story you have told Madame Leroy and begin paying attention in those lessons. Generations of Malfoys have learned French to honor their French ancestry and you will be no different. Your father has even threatened to send you to Beauxbatons if you do not take your studies seriously."

"No!" exclaimed Gemini, "I will go to Hogwarts! Draco and I will _both_ go to Hogwarts. We will be in Slytherin and win the house cup and Draco will be Seeker and I'll be a Chaser and…" Gemini puttered off, looking pleadingly at her mother.

Leaning in, Narcissa patted Gemini's hand gently and said, "That sounds wonderful, darling. Pay attention in your French lessons and all of that may come to pass." She quietly returned to her tea and observed the stunned expression on both her children's faces with a small upturn of her lips.

 **Summer 1991 – Malfoy Manor**

"Father please! Please don't make me go to that awful school! All I've ever wanted was to go to Hogwarts and be a Slytherin. To make you and Mother proud. Please!" pled Gemini with tears threatening to spill down her flushed cheeks.

Seated behind his desk in his study, Lucius peered at his eldest child over the rim of his firewhiskey tumbler and said, "The decision has been made, Gemini. You _will_ go to Beauxbatons, you _will_ master French, and you _will_ learn to live independently from your brother. The two of you are much too close. As it is, I fear my failure to separate you earlier may have already doomed Draco to a Hufflepuff fate. I will not stand for it."

Lucius paused then added, "Generations of Malfoys have attended both Beauxbatons and Hogwarts and excelled. Beauxbatons has a fine reputation for churning out well-bred, sophisticated pureblood women and that is just what you need. Despite your mother's and my best efforts, you have become a wild, untamed girl with a penchant for trouble and a talent for dragging your brother into it as well. Just look at yourself! Why, if the Notts were to pay an unexpected visit right now your mother and I would be scandalized for you to be seen in such a state. No, this is for the best and I will not listen to anymore arguments from you about this. Now go to bed and do not bring this up again."

Gemini opened her mouth to argue further, but a stern look from Lucius silenced her rebuttal. Standing and walking silently to the door of the study, Gemini paused with her hand on the handle and turned slightly towards her father choking a reply, "Send me to Beauxbatons if it pleases you, but do not pretend this is for me or for Draco. I'm not blind. France will be an excellent hiding place for your accidental first born. Goodnight, Father."

Not waiting for a response Gemini fled the stifling study and quickened her pace towards her room. The tears which had threatened to pour over in the study were flowing freely now. At the top of the grand staircase she veered left towards the children's wing. In her room, she walked towards the vanity and took in her appearance. Her usually fair complexion was red and blotchy and her eyes were blood shot from crying. Her platinum locks fell to her shoulder blades in waves, but were tousled and sticking up in places. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a small twig in her hair just behind her left ear, most probably a souvenir from the game of hide and seek she and Draco had played earlier that day. The thick bushes flanking the manor had provided excellent coverage. The right shoulder cuff of her white sundress was ripped slightly and the backside of the dress covered in mud from the fall she took while trying to avoid being tagged.

While she normally would have had Dobby clean her up before entering the house, Narcissa had cancelled afternoon tea in favor of a luncheon at the Parkinson home and both Lucius and Narcissa had been away for dinner with the Minister. Gemini and Draco rarely saw their father outside of meal times so it was a surprise when Lucius entered the children's wing at 9 o'clock calling for Gemini.

"This is all my fault!" Gemini whispered to herself. "If I had only let Dobby clean me up a bit, perhaps I could have convinced father I'm not so unpolished. He's right. I look like an common muggle."

With this, Gemini did what she had wanted to do since her father had told her she would never be a Hogwarts student. She flopped gracelessly onto her large bed, clutched a pillow to herself, curled up, and cried.

Sometime later, Gemini heard a soft knock on her door. "Gemi, let me in. Father's just told me the news," Draco called from the hallway. When no reply came he continued, "Come on. Let me in, Gemi. I know you must be even more upset than I am. I don't want you to be alone."

Inside the room, Gemini sat up in bed and tried to gain a semblance of control before heading towards the door. Standing at the door with her forehead pressed against the dark wood and one hand on the knob, Gemini whispered, "He's sending me away, Draco. (sniff) He's sending me away because I'm not good enough. (sniff)"

"No, Gemi! You're plenty good enough! Now open the door and let's talk about this without a piece of mahogany between us" Draco demanded.

Standing up straighter, Gemini took a couple deep breaths and finally unlocked the door. Before she could even turn the knob, Draco had barged in and wrapped her in a hug. The show of support from her brother was too much and the fragile composure she had managed to collect before opening the door instantly shattered. Clinging to Draco, she sobbed.

The next morning Dobby arrived to wake Gemini for breakfast and found the two children fast asleep on top of the covers of Gemini's bed holding hands. Having heard the rumor of the latest turmoil within the Manor, Dobby decided to let the children sleep a little longer. Their days together in such youth were now numbered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 _ **Le Recommençant**_

 **Chapter 2**

 **July 26, 1998 – Ministry of Magic: Lower Courtroom**

"The criminal trial of the twenty sixth of July, into offences committed under the Decree for the Proper Protection of Wizardkind by Miss Gemini Aurora Malfoy, resident at Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England. Interrogators: Kingsley Magnus Shacklebolt, Minister for Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Percy Ignatius Weasley, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Margaery Elizabeth Pickett," announced the court clerk in a high pitch, nasally voice to officially open the trail.

The dull roar which had previously filled the room slowly tapered off, as trial attendees settled in to observe the proceedings. As this was an extremely high profile trial, the court room was closed to the public; however, select members of the press and high ranking ministry officials were in attendance, along with several members of the Order of the Phoenix. To the left of the center dais, where Minister Shacklebolt sat, appeared two thickset guards from Azkaban prison flanking a petite girl with wild platinum blonde hair matted with grime and adorned in an ugly gray frock. The girl stood with her head down, hands fidgeting as the guards pushed her forward, towards the manacled chair directly in front of the raised dais. After ensuring that their charge was appropriately secured in the interrogation chair, the guards stepped away to allow the proceedings to begin.

"State your name, age, and residency," the Minister ordered.

Looking up for the first time, the girl addressed the Minister directly, "Gemini Aurora Malfoy, born the 5th of June, 1980, age 18, resident of Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire."

Providing her birthdate was not strictly necessary, but Gemini wished to emphasize that she was Draco's twin and so shared the same birth date. Draco's trial was the previous day and her legal counsel informed her that he had been fully acquitted. Due to his age and the defense of Harry Potter, it was determined that Draco had been coerced into cooperation with the Deatheaters and was not to be held criminally accountable for his actions. Draco's only punishment for his crimes was a mandate to return to Hogwarts to complete his 7th year of schooling as part of the optional "8th year" being offered and 1 year of magical probation to commence immediately following his graduation. Gemini had been extremely relieved to hear of Draco's acquittal and hoped that furthering her association with Draco, someone whom the Wizengamot had already acquitted, would help her case.

"The crimes to which the defendant is accused are as follows: willful allegiance to the Deatheater organization and service to Lord Voldemort, murder in the first degree of an unarmed muggle, innumerable uses of both the Imperius and Cruciatus curses, and accessory to the murder of Albus Dumbledore on June 30, 1997," declared Shacklebolt.

While the Minister spoke, Gemini took a moment to steal a glance around the courtroom. She knew her father has been sentenced to 5 years in Azkaban and so would definitely not be in attendance. Likewise, her mother had received 1 year of house arrest so she likely was not in attendance either. Searching the crowd, she looked for the lone blonde head she thought perhaps would be able to support her. She was about to give up when her eyes locked on steel gray at the back of the room. Sitting in the very last row in the very back corner of the courtroom and wearing a black cloak with his hood up was Draco. He gave her a subtle nod which she returned. It felt good to know that at least one person in this room was on her side.

Turning back to the proceedings her eyes lighted on none other than Harry Potter, who appeared to be observing her closely. Noticing her matched gaze, Potter looked away quickly. Wondering briefly at the curiosity that was Harry Potter's attendance at her trial, Gemini returned her attention to the Minister just in time for his next question.

"Miss Malfoy, please explain to the court how you came to be associated with the Deatheaters," asked Shacklebolt in a neutral tone.

After a slow, calming breath Gemini began, "I was initiated into the Deatheater organization officially via a ceremonial Marking on the 5th of June, 1996-"

"The court is aware that you are a marked Deatheater, Miss Malfoy. What we wish to know is how this came to be," stated Amelia Bones.

Gripping the armrest of her chair tightly and restraining the rude remark that threatened to burst forth following Madame Bones' interruption, Gemini continued, "Yes. As I was saying, I was marked on the 5th of June, 1996; however, my association with the Deatheater organization began the previous year in August of 1995."

This news seemed to catch the attention of the audience and whispers erupted throughout the room.

"You mean to tell this court that you were a willful participant in Deatheater activities even prior to your formal marking?" pressed Bones.

Continuing as though Bones had not spoken, Gemini said "As you are aware, the Dark Lord returned in late June of 1995 and spent the subsequent months gathering his remaining Deatheaters. As has already been proven at the trial of my father, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, my father was in the Dark Lord's inner circle during the first war and resumed this position upon the Dark Lord's return. Due to my father's high rank within the Deatheater organization, we often had all sorts of…nefarious…characters, Deatheaters and not, coming and going from the Manor."

"And where exactly did the paths of these 'nefarious' characters cross yours, Miss Malfoy?" asked Shacklebolt.

"The night before I was to return to Beauxbatons for my fifth year, on August 31, 1995, I was summoned to my father's study…"

 **August 31, 1995 – Malfoy Manor**

"Gemini, my dear girl, have a seat," Lucius said, gesturing to one of the antique claw foot chairs in front of his desk.

Gemini waivered uncertainly at the door of the study. Lucius was in far too good a mood for him to have anything good to say to her. Typically, a summons to her father's study was met with reprimand and punishment for some mundane offense or other. Tonight, however, her father appeared to be downright chipper. Coming to her senses, Gemini shut the door and moved further into the room, taking a seat on the edge of the offered chair.

Lucius took a moment to observe his daughter before saying, "Gemini, you are a smart girl. I know I have not praised you much throughout your childhood, but that is because, as a Malfoy firstborn, I hold you to a very high standard. An exacting standard, to be precise."

"Of course, Father," Gemini replied dutifully, though she wondered where this sudden praise was heading. Her father's reference to her firstborn status was both startling and concerning. She was only ever referred to as the "firstborn" when she was about to be forced to do something she disliked.

"As such, I have relayed your brilliance to our Lord," Lucius finished.

Gemini's heart seemed to stop at the mention of their "Lord". True to her father's earlier statements about her intellect, Gemini had read a good deal about the first war and was not completely ignorant to the current comings and goings of the manor in which she lived. She knew what sort of demented acts their "Lord" condoned and the kind of hateful dogma he preached and she wanted to stay as far away from it as possible.

"The Dark Lord has taken an interest in you and Draco. You are shining examples of what the next generation of the devout should be. As such, he has decided to present you with an honor-" Lucius began.

"If Draco and I are being given an 'honor' then why isn't Draco here as well?" demanded Gemini.

"Gemini, you will speak when spoken to!" exclaimed Lucius, losing his previous jovial disposition. In more serious tones he addressed her again, "The Dark Lord has bestowed you, Gemini Malfoy, an honor. An honor you would do well not to ignore if you, and Draco, want to move up within his ranks. The honor is that you will serve the Dark Lord even before you are officially marked."

Gemini knew a veiled threat when she heard one. What her father meant was that she would serve the Dark Lord or perish. She would serve the Dark Lord or her brother would perish. Should she fail in her servitude of the Dark Lord, she would perish and should she fail in her servitude of the Dark Lord, her brother would perish. The most concerning part of all of this was perhaps the fact that, without even meeting her, the Dark Lord knew he had leverage over her through Draco. Check. Mate.

"And what does our 'Lord' require of me?" Gemini sighed.

Choosing to ignore her petulant tone, Lucius explained, "You will return to Beauxbatons with open eyes and ears. You will observe your fellow classmates and come up with a short list of potential recruits for the next generation of Deatheaters. You and I will review this list when you return for the Christmas holidays. Once we have discussed the list, I will present your findings to the Dark Lord. It is a relatively simple first task. You should feel grateful that our Lord has even offered you such an opportunity. It is thanks to years of loyal service by your Mother and I that this was even made possible."

"Why am I the only one being tasked to recruit for the Dark Lord? Should Draco not be in here as well? Surely recruiters at two schools are better than one?" questioned Gemini.

"Do not question the Dark Lord's orders, Gemini," warned Lucius. "If you must know, Draco needs to keep a low profile at Hogwarts. The Dark Lord has great plans for Draco, but the time is not yet right. Additionally, the Dark Lord has all the support he needs at Hogwarts, due to the many Deatheater progeny currently residing in Slytherin house. It is Beauxbatons from which he needs to garner support."

"Of course," Gemini responded. "Was there anything else you needed, Father?"

Taking a moment to survey his daughter as though trying to work out an extremely difficult puzzle, Lucius finally replied, "No. That will be all."

 **July 26, 1998 – Ministry of Magic: Lower Courtroom**

"So you admit before the court that your treason began even before you took the mark?" prodded Bones. Addressing Shacklebolt, Bones said, "Let the court record show that Miss Malfoy has willfully admitted that she was in servitude of the Dark Lord from aged 15 to 17, not 16 to 17, as was previously recorded." The court room again burst into a rumble of chatter, as the audience took in this news and stared in awe at Gemini. Why would the girl volunteer such damning information?

Gemini couldn't believe it. She had just revealed that she had been quite clearly coerced into her first "servitude" of the Dark Lord and Madame Bones had completely twisted her words! Well, two could play that game.

"Madame Bones, you never let me finish. I was bequeathed a task by the Dark Lord in 1995; however, I never completed it. I did not present my father with a 'short list' of potential recruits that Christmas, as I managed to find an excuse to stay at school over the winter holidays," interrupted Gemini with a small smirk of triumph.

Madame Bones seemed to deflate at this and so continued, "Okay, so you were on Voldemort's radar in 1995, but were not officially marked until the summer of 1996. Tell us more about your marking."

A dark cloud seemed to settle over Gemini then and all signs of her previous triumph disappeared. She stared blankly at Bones for a long moment and, just as Madame Bones was opening her mouth to protest the defendant's silence, Gemini spoke.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 _ **Le Recommençant**_

 **Chapter 3**

 **June 5, 1996 – Malfoy Manor**

The atmosphere within the Grand Ballroom was tense. As Gemini entered the room, it was as if the very air she breathed had become thick with darkness, threatening to choke the life out of her, should she not proceed with extreme caution and cunning. Clutching tightly to Draco's hand, they made their way to the front of the crowded room.

The walk was perhaps the longest of her life. Every eye in the room was on her and Draco as they marched sullenly ahead, eyes downcast to the marbled floor. She had never taken the time to notice how beautiful the white marble of the Malfoy Grand Ballroom truly was. The sight of it whisked her mind away to happier times when she and Draco were carefree children that their mother would dote on at the lavish balls she threw. Gemini thought of all the beautiful party shoes she had worn, walking on that white marble and the many laughs she had had with Draco at those events. Time seemed to speed up during the walk, however, and, before she knew it, she was standing before the Dark Lord.

"Feeling nostalgic, Gemini? Really, girl, are there not more pressing matters at hand?" sneered the Dark Lord.

Gemini's head snapped up, having clearly been caught out in her thoughts. "I apologize, my Lord. Nothing is of greater importance than this moment."

Satisfied with Gemini's apology, the Dark Lord continued, "All my faithful, it is so good to be surrounded by you once more. I have gathered you here to – _potentially_ – welcome two new members into our fold." The Dark lord took care to emphasize "potentially" as a warning that perhaps Gemini and Draco had not yet fully proven themselves to him. Gemini tightened her grip on Draco's hand, but continued to stare resolutely ahead, determined not to relay any feelings of fear or doubt.

Addressing Draco directly, the Dark Lord questioned, "Draco, what is it that brings you before me tonight? Why do you wish to join the ranks of my noble Deatheaters?"

Dropping Gemini's hand, Draco stepped slightly forward and dropped to one knee with his eyes downcast to reply, "My Lord, it has always been my singular wish to serve you. Since I was a young boy, I have heard stories of your glory from my Father. Your mission to eradicate this world of the impure and reign in that which has become sullied is a cause for which I am willing and eager to pledge my life."

Gemini groaned inwardly at Draco's flare for the dramatic as he laid it on thick for the Dark Lord. She knew she would be next in this line of questioning and she wasn't sure how she could believably follow Draco's act.

Sparing a brief glance at Lucius who was standing nearby with Narcissa, the Dark Lord said, "It is good to hear that one of my most loyal servants raised his son right, even in my absence." Coming closer to Draco and leaning in so as to appear to whisper, but stating loud enough for all to hear, the Dark Lord said "I do wonder though whether you are, perhaps, all talk. Do you really have the nerve it takes to be a Deatheater? Are your principles _truly_ aligned to the side of the right?"

Gemini noted how he did not call his side "dark", as that may be implying some sort of wrong-doing or culpability. Moreover, he didn't seem to have the audacity to claim to be on the side of the "light" so the side of the "right" was the middle ground he seemed to have settled on.

"Of course, my Lord. Anything for you and the cause, my Lord," Draco responded, rather sycophantically, if Gemini did say so herself. His shoulders also seemed to have developed a slight shudder under the weight of the Dark Lord's stare.

"Perfect," responded the Dark Lord. "Then you won't mind starting the night's entertainment. Stand up and look what I have brought you."

Draco stood hastily and returned to Gemini's side, clutching her hand harder than was really comfortable. A commotion at the back of the ballroom drew their attention as Fenrir Greyback appeared to be leading, no, dragging a young woman to the front of the room. Gemini shared a worried look with Draco, before turning her attention back to the scene unfolding before them.

Greyback at last reached the head of the room and roughly pushed the weeping woman to the ground, "Here you are, my Lord. One filthy muggle, as requested."

"Thank you, Greyback. That will be all," replied the Dark Lord.

Greyback spared the woman one last hungry look before turning to join the rest of the jeering Deatheater audience.

"Please! Help me! I didn't do anything! Please, I have a child!" pleaded the young woman desperately, looking between Gemini, Draco, and the Dark Lord.

"Silence!" demanded the Dark Lord and, at once, the woman appeared to choke on her words, turning blue in the face for few moments before gasping for air as the Dark Lord released her from whatever curse he had cast. As the woman gripped the cold marble floor, panting, the Dark Lord turned to Draco and said, "You claim you are ready for the honor of serving me. Prove it. This woman is filth. Her ancestors persecuted and murdered countless magic folk and it is time she was put in her place. Don't you agree, Draco?"

"Of course, my Lord," replied Draco, without looking at the woman.

"Show her the magic you are capable of. Show her how insignificant she is. Show her!" demanded the Dark Lord.

Gemini's breath caught in her throat and she squeezed her eyes shut. Sure, Draco touted the hateful dogma their father had instilled in them on a daily basis, but that didn't mean he believed it, did he? He couldn't really hate muggles so much that he could torture or kill one, right? Looking at Draco, Gemini realized that she wouldn't get any answers tonight. What Draco believed was irrelevant tonight. What she believed was irrelevant tonight. Tonight was about survival and survival meant pleasing the Dark Lord. Allowing this realization but a moment to sink in, Gemini opened her eyes.

Before her stood Draco with his wand outstretched, pointed towards the sobbing muggle woman.

"Please. Please don't hurt me. I have a son, Timothy. He's two years old and will be looking for his mama when he wakes up in the morning. Please don't take me from him," she pleaded.

Looking into Draco's face Gemini could see cracks beginning to form in his stony facade. Draco's wand hand was shaking and he stuttered as he began to speak, "Cru- cruci-"

"Merlin Draco, look at her! Look how pathetic she is. Filthy muggle has the nerve to beg you for mercy!" Gemini exclaimed, stepping to stand next to Draco. She looked imploringly into his eyes as if to say 'Damn it, Draco, just do it' while discreetly taking hold of his hand in hers.

Straightening his posture and taking strength from his twin, Draco looked down his nose at the muggle woman and shouted, "CRUCIO!"

Her screams filled the ballroom, echoing off the vaulted ceilings as her body twisted and writhed on the marble floor. This continued for no more than 20 seconds before Draco released the curse, panting.

"Well done, Draco. You will have to work to increase your endurance, of course, but practice does make perfect," sneered the Dark Lord. "That will be all, Draco. Gemini, come forward."

Draco brushed a quick kiss upon her temple and squeezed her hand briefly as he turned to join their parents. Taking two steps towards the Dark Lord and assuming the kneeling position Draco had demonstrated earlier, Gemini said, "I come to serve you, my Lord."

The Dark Lord paused for a moment and simply stared at Gemini, reveling in the way her posture seemed to strain under the pressure of his gaze. Finally, he spoke, "It was admirable how you stood to support your younger brother just now, Gemini. I suppose you are used to supporting him, as the firstborn that is."

Gemini stiffened at this. Throughout her life, mention of her firstborn status had always been followed either by horrible news or punishment. It was a burden and a curse to have beaten Draco out of the womb that day and it appeared, even now, on the 16th anniversary of their birth, she would be punished for it.

"Draco has proved he has what it takes to stand in my ranks and now it is your turn," the Dark Lord began. Reaching out a hand towards her family, the Dark Lord curled his fingers in a 'come hither' motion and suddenly Draco appeared to be dragged forth as though a rope was around his neck. His hands moved to clasp his neck and his breath came in struggling gasps.

"In this instance, I do not think a simple Crucio will do. Kill the filthy muggle, Gemini. Kill her, or I will kill Draco," demanded the Dark Lord.

With Draco's writhing body before her, Gemini barely hesitated before turning to the muggle woman with her wand outstretched. Still, she paused while taking in the woman's struggling form. At some point during the conversation, if it could be called that, two hulking Deatheaters had dragged the woman up by her arms and she was now hanging limply between the two men.

Addressing the woman for the first time, Gemini asked, "What's your name?"

The woman hesitated and Gemini demanded again, more urgently as Draco's breaths appeared to be growing more and more labored, "What is your name?!"

"Addison! My name is Addison Meadows!" exclaimed the woman.

The words had barely left her mouth before Addison was consumed by a flash of green light.

The sound of blood whooshing in Gemini's ears was all she could hear as she watched the woman slump in the Deatheaters arms. Turning towards Draco, Gemini saw he was no longer under the Dark Lord's curse and appeared to be regaining his composure, slowly rising from the floor.

"It appears the Malfoy children aren't all talk after all," the Dark Lord said, eliciting a dull laugh from his Deatheater audience.

Turning towards Draco and Gemini again, the Dark Lord commanded, "Kneel before me so I may bestow upon you my Mark. The mark of your brethren and the mark which will proclaim to the world that you have been chosen!"

By their own volition or by some dark magic, they weren't sure, Draco and Gemini felt their feet begin to move towards the Dark Lord, felt their knees bend, and their left arms rise.

"The honor I bestow on you tonight will be your everlasting connection to me. Impossible to reverse, this mark will tie your very soul to my service as you join my ranks," said the Dark Lord in reverent tones.

Holding one hand over each of their left arms, the Dark Lord closed his eyes and began a low, incomprehensible chant. After a few moments, a dark, ink-like substance began to stream down from his boney hands, creeping through the space between them menacingly before finally making contact with their pale flesh. Upon contact Draco and Gemini both hissed in pain and their skin began to sizzle as though branded with an invisible iron.

The smell of burning flesh reached Gemini's nostrils and she squeezed her eyes shut against the pain. She felt tears brimming in the corners of her eyes and forced them down. As the dark tendril of ink wrapped itself around her arm completely it formed a dark cloud, setting her nerve endings on fire, a strangled cry involuntarily escaped her lips. After what seemed like an eternity the cloud began to dissipate and in its place was a raw, twisted Dark Mark. The Mark seemed to move with a life of its own and the veins in her forearm appeared spidery with remnants of the black ink. When the movement of the fresh tattoo slowed and the pain in her arm was reduced to a dull throb, Gemini looked up at her new Master.

"Well done, Malfoys. Rise now and join your brethren!" exclaimed the Dark Lord as loud cheers rang out around the ballroom.

Relying on her staunch upbringing to stem the flow of tears she desperately wanted to release, Gemini pulled herself off the floor, squared her shoulders, and walked over to her parents with all the Malfoy poise she could summon. To any outsider, Gemini appeared to be an unreadable brick wall, but inside her heart was in raging turmoil and she felt broken, as a piece of herself had just been laid to rest along with Addison Meadows.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 _ **Le Recommençant**_

 **Chapter 4**

 **July 26, 1998 – Ministry of Magic: Lower Courtroom**

A pin drop could be heard in the silent courtroom as Gemini finished telling her story. The dark detail and sullen tone with which she depicted the night of her marking was all at once chilling and gripping. The courtroom hung on every word Gemini spoke as she laid out the details of that night, both the actual events and her own internal thought processes. As the tale concluded and Gemini seemed to come to her senses, breaking out of whatever spell her own memory had cast upon her, she looked startled at the audience around her. After a few moments of uneasy silence, Minister Shacklebolt questioned, "Do you admit then, Miss Malfoy, that you are guilty of the murder of the muggle, Addison Meadows?"

"Yes," whispered Gemini. Recounting the events of the worst night of her life seemed to have drained her of her strength, for she sat slumped in her interrogation chair, gripping the arms of the chair with white knuckles as though to prevent tumbling forward.

"I see," replied Shacklebolt. "It seems then that the question is not whether you were the one to end Addison Meadows' life, but, rather, whether you did so willfully."

Having become accustomed to the damnation of Madame Bones, Gemini's head perked up a bit at the Minister's new line of questioning.

"Tell us, Miss Malfoy, why did you cast the Killing Curse on Addison Meadows?" asked Shacklebolt.

Looking directly at Shacklebolt and ignoring the way the courtroom audience seemed to lean slightly forward in their seats, appearing to hang on whatever reply would be coming forthwith from her lips, Gemini responded, "It was the only way, of course."

"The only way you would be able to join the Deatheaters?" accused Madame Bones with a tone of disgust.

"No," interrupted Gemini, before Madame Bones could change the subject. Still addressing Shacklebolt directly, she continued, "It was the only way to ensure Draco survived. I regret that Addison Meadows had to die that night, but I do not regret killing her. It was the only way to keep my family safe."

The uproar that broke out in the courtroom following her statement caused Gemini to jump and break eye contact with Shacklebolt. The room appeared to be outraged at her words. Insults and cries of outrage rang from all directions as Gemini sank further and further into the hard interrogation chair, wishing it would perhaps swallow her whole so she could escape this torture.

"You heard her, she's a murderer and she's not sorry for it!" exclaimed one of the press members from the back of the room.

"How do we know she wouldn't kill again just for the fun of it?" shouted another.

"Once a Deatheater, always a Deatheater!" proclaimed an unknown voice from the crowd.

"SILENCE!" commanded Shacklebolt, calling order to the room once more. "I will have silence from the audience or I will declare this a completely closed trial from this point forth!"

The roar of the audience slowly died, but Gemini remained slumped in her chair, eyes shut tight against the barrage of hate.

Addressing the Wizengamot member, Shacklebolt said, "Though the sentiment may offend, what Miss Malfoy has admitted is that she did cast the Killing Curse on the identified muggle, Addison Meadows. However, she has also admitted that she did so only under the influence of extreme manipulation and coercion by Lord Voldemort, someone whom this council has known to be extremely adept at pressuring young people into 'no-win' situations. As such, I motion to reduce the charge of criminal manslaughter to criminal misconduct, as Miss Malfoy was both underage and under duress at the time of the event. All in favor?"

Gemini held her breath as hands slowly began to rise around the room. One by one hands raised until it became obvious that a majority had voted.

"Let it be recorded that the charge of criminal manslaughter has been reduced to criminal misconduct," announced Shacklebolt.

Addressing Gemini once more, Shacklebolt said, "The Wizengamot is not unsympathetic to the precarious situation in which your upbringing placed you, Miss Malfoy. While I believe the council has gathered enough information to deliberate on the majority of your accused crimes, we need to hear about your involvement with the murder of Albus Dumbledore. We have already heard a detailed account of the events of the night Dumbledore died from your brother, but we need to know more about how you may have been involved."

Nodding her head and shuffling in her chair to a more dignified and upright position, Gemini began, "I was at Beauxbatons the night Albus Dumbledore was killed and had no direct hand in his death; however, I did have some influence over the events of that night. Although the task to kill Dumbledore was assigned only to Draco, we have always shared everything and the task was no different."

 **August 8, 1996 – Malfoy Manor**

Gemini awoke to the sound of a slamming door somewhere within the Manor and the sounds of raised voices which seemed to be getting closer. Scrambling out of bed and throwing on her dressing gown, she ripped open the door to her bedroom just in time to see Draco's door slam shut. Looking down the hall, Gemini ensured no one had followed Draco and then padded softly towards his door.

Standing outside his door, Gemini could hear what sounded like quite a torrent of destruction occurring on the other side as the sounds of glass shattering and wood crashing reached her ears.

Rapping sharply on the door three times in her 'signature' knock, Gemini waited for a response. The clamor inside the room quieted, but no response came. Gemini waited a moment before knocking one more time.

"Go away, Gemini. I don't want to talk," Draco called from behind the closed door.

"Well I should think talking about whatever it is that has you this upset would be more productive than destroying your property. I happen to know I've given you quite a few breakable Christmas gifts over the years and I am concerned for their safety right about now," quipped Gemini.

"I don't care about a couple of Christmas gifts, Gemi. This is none of your business so just go away!" Draco shouted.

Gemini flinched at Draco's tone. They rarely argued and, when they did, it was never serious.

"Draco Arcturus Malfoy, you open this door right now or I will blow it off its hinges and wake up everyone in this bloody manor!" Gemini shouted back. In a lower voice she added, "We both know how much Auntie Bella hates to be disturbed from her beauty sleep." There was a moment's pause before the door lock clicked and that was all the invitation Gemini needed to burst through the door.

Inside, the room was chaos. Draco had overturned his study table so parchment and ink from his summer work lay strewn about the floor and soaking into the white carpet. Pillow feathers floated through the air, not quite settled from their recent annihilation. The bedside table appeared to have fallen victim to Draco's wrath as well, bearing the marks of a swift Bombarda, it had been reduced to mere splinters. Broken pieces of glass and mirror littered the floor as Gemini gingerly approached Draco and pried the open decanter of aged fire whiskey, a Christmas gift from their father, from Draco's bloody left hand.

"You promised to share this, you know," Gemini softly admonished.

"Well you're here now so drink up," Draco dully responded, not bothering to meet his sister's gaze.

Gemini paused a moment, debating the merits of scolding Draco for his reckless drinking. Thinking better of it, she moved instead towards the only furniture in the room which appeared to have escaped Draco's fit, the dresser, and conjured two tumblers pouring three fingers into each. Taking a small sip of the caustic beverage, Gemini passed Draco a tumbler and asked, "Now what's all this fuss about? Surely it's nothing we can't work out a solution for."

Draco let out a disgusted sounding snort and took a generous gulp of his whiskey before responding, "There's no 'we' this time, Gemi. Just me. Just me and this bloody suicide mission."

"Suicide mission? Don't be ridiculous. Whatever it is Father has asked of you can't be that bad. There's no way he would jeopardize the life of his 'one true heir'," Gemini retorted.

"It wasn't _Father_ who assigned me this task," replied Draco coldly.

Gemini's heart seemed to skip a beat at what Draco's words implied. "You were called in front of the Dark Lord? Without me?" Gemini inquired.

"Called, dragged… however you want to put it. Yes, I was summoned to his audience earlier this evening. Mother, Father, and Aunt Bella were there as well. A regular family reunion. I'm not sure why you weren't called other than perhaps they hoped to keep my task at least somewhat secret," supplied Draco.

"Well that's just stupid. Unless the Dark Lord bound you to silence, there's no way he doesn't know that you'll tell me everything. Perhaps that's the reason I wasn't summoned – he knew I'd be informed either way and preferred my silence on the matter," Gemini speculated.

"Do you want to know what my task is or are you going to stand there guessing all night?" Draco bit out.

Startled at his tone, Gemini responded irritably, "I'm sorry, Draco. Please, do tell me what our Lord requires of you which has you so pained. I promise not to extend even one more brain cell trying to work it out for myself."

Choosing to ignore Gemini's attitude, Draco cried desperately, "I have to kill him! I have to kill the greatest wizard alive and I have to do it before the school year is out!"

"Kill? Who do you have to kill? Not Harry Potter!" exclaimed Gemini, finally understanding how dire Draco's 'task' truly was.

"Harry Potter?! No. Fuck no. I said 'greatest wizard alive' not 'greatest wizard at living', Gemini! I meant Dumbledore. Albus bloody Dumbledore is my target. I have to kill him or the Dark Lord has informed me that he will be 'unable to assure the safety' of either you or Mother," Draco stuttered, his chest heaving as a new wave of sobs threatened to overcome him.

Letting out a long breath she didn't realize she had been holding, Gemini dropped down next to Draco at the foot of his bed. The silence in the room was thick, broken only by the sound of Draco's shuddering breaths and the ticking of the ornate grandfather clock in the corner. After what felt like a lifetime, but was probably only 5 minutes or so, Gemini seemed to come back to her senses. Taking hold of Draco's bloodied hand and she began muttering healing charms and wrapping his busted knuckles in gauze. Seemingly satisfied with her work, she patted Draco's injured hand, looked up and asked, "So what are we going to do about this then?"

 **July 26, 1998 – Ministry of Magic: Lower Courtroom**

"I helped Draco with his task as much as I could throughout the 1996-97 school year. I knew that Draco hadn't been kidding when he called the task a 'suicide mission'. The Dark Lord was most displeased with my family, following the events at the Department of Mysteries the previous year and I know my Mother's persistence that we were too young to participate in Deatheater raids was grating on what little patience the Dark Lord possessed," Gemini explained. "The Dark Lord was eager to both dispose of his greatest enemy and teach those in his Deatheater ranks a lesson. Assigning Draco a seemingly unachievable task assured the completion of at least one, if not both of those goals. If Draco failed, then the Malfoys would be made an example of for all Deatheaters who dared let down their master. If Draco succeeded, then Albus Dumbledore would be dead and, in his eyes at least, the war would be all but won." Pausing to take a moment to collect her thoughts and let the information she'd supplied thus far sink in.

Taking the opportunity, Madame Bones goaded Gemini, "So you'll admit that you were eager to assist your brother with his task? You knowingly and willfully assisted with the attempted murder of Albus Dumbledore?"

"Yes," Gemini responded testily, her patience with Madame Bones' pedantic line of questioning reaching its end. "Yes, I 'knowingly' and 'willingly' helped my brother. I did so because I knew that, without my help, Draco had zero chance of succeeding. Draco is quite intelligent in his own right, but two heads are always better than one and Draco needed someone to help keep attention away from him. I held no personal ill-will towards the late Hogwarts headmaster, but I would do anything to protect my family. Rather, I would do anything to protect Draco and my mother. Father can rot for all I care."

The whispers around the courtroom picked up intensity again, the audience taking in the apparent derision Gemini held for Lucius Malfoy and the passion with which she spoke about protecting her mother and brother. The tale Gemini was weaving for the audience left everyone questioning their own understanding of events and had them guessing at the true character of the Malfoy none of them had even known existed.

"Silence!" demanded Kingsley and the room quieted once more. Turning to Gemini, Kingsley asked, "How exactly do you aid Mr. Malfoy if you were at Beauxbatons?"

"Research primarily," replied Gemini. "I helped Draco orchestrate both failed attempts, first with the poisoned mead and then with the cursed necklace. I suppose I was also a supplier of sorts. I didn't hold out much real hope for either plan, but I knew we could buy time with the Dark Lord if we put on a good show of effort."

"A supplier? Do you mean to say you sent Mr. Malfoy dangerous artifacts through something as insecure as owl post?" inquired Madame Bones snidely.

Struggling by this point to tolerate Madame Bones' relentless questioning, Gemini squeezed her eyes shut, let out a slow breath, and counted down from five before responding, "I'm not quite finished, Madame Bones. May I continue or shall you continue to cut me off?"

"You insolent little brat! You'll be locked in Azkaban soon enough, but faster if you don't learn to hold that tongue of yours," exclaimed Bones, unable to hide her malcontent for Gemini any longer.

"That's enough Madame Bones – you will not threaten the defendant in my courtroom! The court will take a twenty minute recess and you will _calm down_ by the time we re-adjourn or else I'll find someone else to represent the prosecution. Do you understand me?" seethed Kingsley.

Stunned at the Minister's venomous reprimand, Bones responded meekly, "Yes, sir. My apologies, sir" and scurried out of the courtroom, sparing Gemini one last glare.

With the court in recess, the two hulking Azkaban guards returned to her side.

"Do you need to use the facilities?" asked one of the guards gruffly.

Gemini considered this offer. The hearing would most likely go one for several more hours, given the excruciating detail with which she was forced to recount her version of events. However, she had been too anxious to eat and had foolishly foregone any beverage as well.

"No. I could use some water though," replied Gemini.

"What do you think this is? A luxury hotel? We're not bringing you snacks!" barked the other guard while his companion chortled next to him.

"I understand that. However, I am speaking a great deal during this hearing and I need water if I'm to continue answering the Wizengamot's questions to the fullest extent," hissed Gemini.

"Just get her some water," someone interrupted from somewhere behind her.

Turning slightly to peer over her shoulder, Gemini saw that none other than Harry Potter was the owner of the voice that had spoken.

"She has a right to basic amenities while awaiting a verdict. That includes water," Potter finished.

"Very well, Mr. Potter," replied one of the guards, before conjuring a glass and water and handing it roughly to Gemini.

The water was tepid. Merlin forbid she receive anything pleasant or refreshing during her incarceration, water included. Instead of voicing this thought, Gemini let out a curt, "Thank you," and took a sip of the water.

Her eyes remained locked on Potter as he returned to his seat. It appeared he himself had been returning from the facilities when he heard the ridiculous exchange. Why Harry Potter would give a damn about her or her comfort Gemini had no idea, but it made her extremely uncomfortable and she decided in that moment that she disliked it immensely and hoped to avoid any further borderline-cordial interactions with Harry Potter for the rest of time.

Gemini didn't have any more time to ponder the actions of Harry Potter. When she turned back around, the Wizengamot members had returned and Kingsley was ushering the audience back to their seats.

"The criminal hearing of Ms. Gemini Aurora Malfoy, the 26th of July 1998 is re-adjourned," the mousey court clerk called.

Clearing his throat, Kingsley began, "Ms. Malfoy, before the recess you were about to tell the Wizengamot of your involvement with Mr. Malfoy's two failed attempts on Albus Dumbledore's life. Please continue."

Feeling the pressure of the entire courtroom's stare return to her, Gemini took a quick sip of her water and returned to her tale.

"It was mid-August when the Dark Lord presented Draco with his task – a good two weeks before the start of term at Hogwarts and Beauxbatons. Draco and I decided to make use of the remaining time we had together and began plotting out various ways to bring about the demise of the Hogwarts headmaster. Coming up with stealthy ways to end the life of the wizard who brought down Grindelwald was no small task and, by the end of the summer, the only weak but potentially viable option which had presented itself to us did so almost by accident."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just want to live in it.

 _ **Le Recommençant**_

 **Chapter 5**

 **August 28, 1996 – Diagon Alley**

Gemini hated the start of term rush in Diagon Alley. On any typical trip to the alley, at least back when she didn't have a murdering psychopath breathing down her throat, Gemini loved to take in the sights and sounds of the brightly colored shopping district. Having always had a keen eye for fashion, despite her tendency to ruin clothes, Gemini quite enjoyed lengthy trips to Madame Malkin's, spending time sorting through the various colors and styles being featured for the season. The school rush made it quite impossible to do so without being pushed around by the multitude of other shoppers and their screaming kids. For this reason, Gemini made quick work of her purchases and met her father and Draco at the entrance to Knockturn Alley just an hour into their trip.

"Took you long enough," complained Draco.

Sensing the beginning of an argument between the two teenagers, Lucius interrupted, "Come along now, both of you. I have a short bit of business to attend to with Mr. Borgin and then we'll be off."

Without awaiting a response, Lucius made his way into the alley, followed closely by Gemini and Draco.

Inside, the shop was dark and dusty, smelling of mildewed parchment and old leather. "Do not touch _anything_ ," Lucius warned, before making his way towards the front of the shop.

"Why do you always have to be such an insufferable twat?" Gemini hissed at Draco, once Lucius was out of ear shot. Moving towards the side of the shop, Gemini began inspecting some of the display items.

"It's just so fun to rile you up. What's the point of having a sister if I don't get to harass you from time to time?" Draco teased. Pausing to inspect items in a jewelry case, his tone lost all teasing quality, "I hardly ever get the chance to do so now days, what with the threat of death lurking around every corner."

"Don't be so melancholy, Draco. We'll get through this together, just like always," Gemini whispered. "Now, start looking for something that could help us. It'll be nearly impossible to get anything to you once school starts. Your best bet for bringing anything into the school is to bring it in with your trunk. Owl Post is monitored too closely by the Ministry."

Gemini continued to gauge the potential deadliness of display items further down the aisle, while Draco lingered in front of the jewelry case. According to the posted signage, the case held a selection of 'ancient' jewels from pureblood families whose lines had dwindled to extinction and whose possessions had been distributed to other Sacred Twenty-Eight families. Over time, Borgin and Burke had acquired many of the more questionable pieces. What caught Draco's eye was a blue sapphire pendant necklace at the center of the case. The necklace seemed to call to him. The blue of the sapphire glinted dangerously off the dim candlelight and the razor sharp edges begged him to reach forward and feel their strength.

"Draco, no!" the white knuckle grip Gemini suddenly had on his wrist was enough to snap Draco out of whatever trance the necklace had him in. He was shocked to find his right hand outstretched, just inches from touching the offending necklace.

"This is it," said Draco, yanking his hand back to his side, but keeping his gaze fixed on the necklace. "I'll buy this necklace and have it delivered to Dumbledore. I don't know what this necklace does exactly, but it's practically dripping with dark magic. I reckon just a moment's touch could do the trick."

Looking between the necklace and Draco, Gemini wasn't so sure. "Draco, since it's so obviously oozing dark magic, as you say, don't you think Dumbledore will be able to spot that too? He'll likely be able to sense something off about it before he even opens whatever package you plant for him," Gemini argued.

"Perhaps, but this will buy me some time at least," Draco sighed. "If it works, then great. If not, then no harm done and we'll move on to plan B."

"Plan B?" Gemini questioned.

"Yes, plan B, in which you owl me the details of the much more brilliant plan you devise between now and the failure of this one."

Smirking slightly at Draco's acknowledgement that she was the brains behind their little assassin operation, Gemini agreed, "As it happens, I may have an idea. I'll need to do a fair bit of research first though so buy the necklace and find a way to get it to Dumbledore before Christmas. In the meantime, I'll continue researching a more solid plan and we can reconvene at Christmas."

Draco nodded his agreement and moved towards the front of the store to get Borgin to wrap the necklace. Gemini's gaze returned to the necklace, wondering briefly what would happen to the beautiful accessory once their plan inevitably ran afoul. Shaking her head to clear the creeping fog, Gemini exited the shop to await her brother and father outside, not sparing the necklace another thought.

 **July 26, 1998 – Ministry of Magic: Lower Courtroom**

"I had no way of knowing that Draco would muck up the delivery of the necklace so badly," Gemini lamented. "I regret that the girl, Katie Bell, was cursed."

"Your remorse is noted," responded Kingsley with a pointed look towards the court scribe. "It sounds as though your involvement with the cursed necklace was minimal. What about the poisoned mead? What was your role in that attempt?"

Gemini nodded, momentarily happy that Kingsley at least was not holding her part in the necklace purchase over her.

"Part of the Beauxbatons sixth year potions curriculum is the Draught of Living Death, a potion typically reserved for seventh year study at Hogwarts," Gemini began. "For those of you who aren't aware, the Draught is an extremely finicky brew which requires great attention to detail during the brewing process. One wrong move, an extra stir or a fraction of a degree too hot, and the Draught quickly becomes a lethal poison the likes of which cannot be vanished in the same way one would normally vanish a botched potion. I took advantage of this knowledge and purposefully botched my potion just before the end of term, in December 1996."

"I waited for the brewing stage I knew to be the most volatile and added a single counterclockwise stir instead of the requisite clockwise stir. The effect was immediate. The potion turned from the standard pale blue of a mid-brew Draught, to a crystal clear poison which mimicked the appearance of a successfully completed Draught. My potions mistress knew the potion was a failure, of course, and demanded that I dispose of the cauldron and toxic mixture in the vanishing cabinet in the hospital wing."

The mention of a vanishing cabinet caused gasps to ring out around the courtroom. With the majority of the audience very familiar with the concept of a vanishing cabinet from attendance at Draco's trial, the audience was beginning to connect the dots between the two stories.

"I stole some of the ruined Draught prior to vanishing the cauldron and hid it among my belongings, along with the most expensive bottle of French mead I could find in the village near Beauxbatons. I delivered both items to Draco during the Christmas break so that no one could trace the purchase of a poison or a bottle of mead back to him," finished Gemini.

"Please add the charges of creation and distribution of illegal substances to the list of offenses, Ms. Pickett," Madame Bones barked to Margaery Pickett, the court scribe.

"Hold just a moment," interrupted Kingsley. "I believe the current charge of accessory to attempted murder trumps an illegal substance charge, Madame Bones."

Flustered at being called out by the Minister, Madame Bones replied, "Very well. Strike that. Ms. Malfoy, please continue."

Feeling slightly fortified by the small show of support from Kingsley, Gemini began again, "Obviously, Ronald Weasley was not the intended recipient of the poisoned mead. He is yet another unintended victim whose pain I regret having been a part of."

"Again, the court notes your remorse," supplied Kingsley.

"Yes, remorse noted," Bones added grudgingly. "However, we still need to address the main event. What role did you play in the eventual murder of Albus Dumbledore? We have noted your involvement in the failed attempts, now tell us how the successful event played out from your end."

"As I stated previously, my involvement was primarily research," explained Gemini. "Though, I guess the original idea was mine, it was sparked by a theory Draco had expressed to me the year before, the confirmation of which I received that day in Borgin and Burkes."

"While Draco was busy examining the case of cursed jewels, I had taken notice of a large ornate cabinet towards the back of the shop. I don't know how I remembered it, but the sight of it immediately triggered a memory of a conversation I had with Draco at the start of the summer."

"As was our tradition, Draco and I met at the stables the morning following our return home. Riding was one of the few normal activities we could still enjoy at the Manor, so the stables and fields were our sanctuary. While we groomed our respective horses, we gave each other the rundown of everything that had happened in our lives since we'd seen each other at Christmas. Draco told me all about that horrible woman, Umbridge, and about being on her Inquisitorial Squad. He admitted that, though it felt great to knock Gryffindors down a peg or two, she was absolutely insane."

"While describing the kind of trouble various students got up to under Umbridge's watch, Draco recounted one instance in particular which caught my attention. He described a boy, Graham Montague, picking a fight with a couple of Weasleys and said Weasleys throwing Montague into a vanishing cabinet to keep him from causing them trouble with the Inquisitorial Squad. Apparently Montague was gone for a few days before eventually reappearing in a bathroom somewhere in the castle. After his recovery, Draco said Montague reported having sparse memory of his time inside the cabinet, but that he remembered distinctly hearing pieces of conversation both at Hogwarts and Borgin and Burkes. Draco theorized that the vanishing cabinet's twin could be at Borgin and Burkes, but that was the end of the discussion."

"So you remembered the conversation you had with Draco at the start of the summer and thought to inspect the cabinet when you saw it at Borgin and Burkes in August?" inquired Kingsley.

"Exactly. I thought when I saw the cabinet that it looked very similar to the vanishing cabinet I knew resided in the Beauxbaton's hospital wing, but I couldn't be sure that it wasn't just an ordinary armoire. To test the cabinet, I removed a beret from my hair and placed it inside. I closed the cabinet door, waited a few seconds, and reopened it to find the cabinet completely empty," explained Gemini.

"So you were the one to confirm the connection between Hogwarts and Borgin and Burkes. You mentioned that you provided support to Draco primarily via research. What further research did you conduct?" questioned Bones.

"When Draco returned to school in September, I told him to go check up on Montague's vanishing cabinet. With the necklace plan in place, we needed to get to work on 'plan B' as soon as possible. When Draco reported back that my beret was, indeed, inside the Hogwarts cabinet, I thought the hard part was over. However, after enlisting the help of Misters Burke and Borgin, we came to find that living matter could not travel safely between the two locations. Apparently, Montague had done a thorough job breaking the cabinet on his way out," Gemini said.

"The Beauxbatons library is far less restrictive than the Hogwarts library, as it would turn out. Books which Draco could only access via the restricted section at Hogwarts, I was able to obtain with ease. Together, we owled back and forth regarding various theories for how to fix the cabinet. At the same time, I knew myself to be above suspicion at Beauxbatons so I used this to my advantage. I requested an apprenticeship with the mediwitch under the pretense that I wanted to apply to a school for mediwizardry following graduation. In this way, I was able to get closer to the Beauxbaton's vanishing cabinet and was even able to run a few experiments when the mediwitch was out."

"And at the time of your assistance with the cabinet, Ms. Malfoy, were you aware of your brother's intention to let Deatheaters into Hogwarts upon completion of the repairs?" Madame Bones pressed.

Gemini could feel her heart beating in her chest and the sound of her own breathing seemed to increase tenfold as Madame Bones' eyes and the eyes of everyone in the courtroom bore down on her. She considered lying. She could, she thought, perhaps get away with it. However, she had not been present for Draco's trail so she had no way of knowing what version of events he'd told. With that understanding, Gemini decided it was better to go to Azkaban an honest criminal than a lying one and responded truthfully, "Of course, Madame Bones. It was my idea."

Outrage coursed through the room immediately and Gemini could hardly make out the horrendous things being said about her over the roar. Suddenly, Gemini felt a sharp pain as something small and hard made contact with her left temple. Looking down, she saw that the object which hit her was a framed muggle photograph of a young girl with wild brown curls and large, doe-like blue eyes.

A cry of "MURDERER!" rang out loudly over the courtroom and the entire room seemed to focus in on a middle aged woman sitting near the front of the audience.

"You murdering scum! You are the reason my daughter is dead! You and your filthy brother and your filthy Deatheater family are the reason my Lavender is gone!" cried the woman. The man sitting next to her tried to console her, but she shrugged his embrace off roughly and remained standing, staring daggers at Gemini.

"Enough! Mrs. Brown, we are all very sorry for your loss; however, now is not the time to express your grief and assaulting a defendant is against the law. Ms. Malfoy would be within her rights to press charges right now," Kingsley ground out, at the end of his rope with the lack of decorum showed in the hearing so far.

"That won't be necessary, Minister," Gemini quietly supplied, using her shirt sleeve to dab at the small cut on her temple which was bleeding steadily.

Continuing as though Gemini had not spoken, though clearly taking her response into consideration, Kingsley continued, "You are lucky, Mrs. Brown, that Ms. Malfoy has seen fit to forgive this indiscretion. Perhaps you could be so kind as to do the same one day. In the meantime, get out of my courtroom."

At her dismissal, one of the guards in the room moved to escort Mrs. Brown out, but she pushed him aside. "Don't you dare touch me! I can show myself out of this ridiculous courtroom," Mrs. Brown spat as she made her way roughly down the aisle and out of the courtroom.

Addressing the audience, Kingsley boomed, "If anyone else in this room feels they have the right to interrupt my proceedings, you may take this opportunity to show yourself out as well. The next disruption I hear, be it an exclamation of protest or a sneeze, will be met with an overnight stay at Azkaban prison. Is that understood?"

Taking the stunned silence as acceptance, Kingsley turned back to Gemini, "I do apologize, Ms. Malfoy, for the rather, non-traditional, hearing we seem to be having today. For the official court record, let it be known that Lavender Brown was a casualty of the Battle of Hogwarts on the 2nd of May, 1998, not of the Deatheater break-in on the 30th of June, 1997. Ms. Malfoy had no part in her death. It seems Mrs. Brown is working through some misplaced grief."

"Let's get on with it, shall we?" offered Madame Bones.

"We shall," responded Kingsley. "Ms. Malfoy, you claim that letting Deatheaters into the school was your idea. Why would you pursue this as your 'plan B' when that would pose such a great risk to Hogwarts students?"

"I didn't know he would send _them_ ," explained Gemini. "When Draco and I laid out the plan originally, I had suggested that our father be the one to come through the cabinet to assist Draco in taking down the headmaster. I knew that the task was ultimately Draco's, but that Draco would need assistance cornering a wizard like Dumbledore. I thought a small force would be more nimble and the job could be done quicker and with a viable escape route via the vanishing cabinet that way."

"So how did it come to pass that seven Deatheaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Grayback, were let into the school?" questioned Bones.

"The Dark Lord did not agree with me, that's how. After he had successfully fixed the cabinet, Draco brought the plan before the Dark Lord who was very pleased. He was astounded that Draco had managed to conceive a way into Hogwarts, fortress that it is, but less than pleased with our plan to have only my father use the passage. The Dark Lord claimed to want only his most capable Deatheaters assigned to this mission. Draco and I were mutually horrified at the turn of events, but could in no way object without arousing suspicion. Draco pleaded with the Dark Lord to keep the force small, but he would hear no arguments. Please…" Gemini stuttered here, seeming to choke on the words. "Please believe me. I never wanted to hurt children. I… We… were only trying to survive."

Silence followed Gemini's admission and, rather than looking up into the disgusted faces of the Wizengamot or the audience, Gemini kept her head down, eyes trained on her lap. It was Madame Bones who broke the silence.

"I believe, Minister, that the prosecution has heard enough. Do you have any further questions for Ms. Malfoy before the Wizengamot deliberates?"

Kingsley continued to stare at Gemini as though she were a particularly complex riddle he was trying to work out, before finally responding, "Yes, Madame Bones. I have just one more question for Ms. Malfoy."

Gemini looked up, sensing the Minister's desire to look her in the eyes as he put forth his last request. The look she found on the Minister's face was not the disgusted expression she had expected. Instead, the Minister appeared to be gazing at her with a mixture of curiosity and… pity? She immediately looked away, feeling the telltale pricks of tears beginning to form behind her eyes. Pity was an emotion she had no use for. She may have had a tough upbringing, but, if she had learned anything from it, it's that a Malfoy needs no one's pity.

"The principle charge against you, Ms. Malfoy, is murder in the first degree of an unarmed muggle. From your testimony, we now know that the muggle in question was one Addison Meadows. My question for you is this – why did you insist that Ms. Meadows tell you her name before you cast the killing curse? You let your brother struggle against Voldemort's bonds while demanding she tell you her name. Why?" asked Kingsley.

Gemini wasn't sure what she had expected the Minister to ask, but it hadn't been that. She'd had a great deal of time to ponder this question herself since that horrible night and she was no closer to an answer she deemed acceptable now as she was in the moments immediately following Addison's death. In truth, Gemini wasn't sure what had caused her sudden fixation on a name, she just knew that, in that moment, she had _needed_ to know the woman's name. She had felt an incredible urgency about it. It had felt as though her mouth was full of rocks and wand incapable of magic, until she had an identity for her victim.

"Ms. Malfoy? Why did you need to know the muggle woman's name?" pressed Kingsley.

Snapping out of her reverie, Gemini met Kingsley's gaze and responded in a voice barely above a whisper, "Because she deserved more."

"Ms. Malfoy, you are going to have to speak up so the court may hear you," admonished Madame Bones.

Keeping her gaze locked with Kingsley's, Gemini sat up a bit straighter, cleared her throat, and repeated, "Because she deserved more." Pausing for just a moment to gather her remaining strength, Gemini continued, "Addison Meadows deserved more than to be brutally beaten by a pack of lunatic Deatheaters and dragged before a couple of teenagers as a _test_. She deserved to be there for her son, Timothy, when he woke up the next morning and every morning after that. She deserved more than to be known as simply an 'unarmed muggle' on my criminal record. She deserved more than an unmarked grave at the back of Malfoy Manor. I couldn't give her most of the things she deserved, but I could give her a name. For the rest of my life, however short that may be, when I reflect on the blood on my hands, I will at the very least know whose blood it is. Putting the murder of a nameless muggle out of my mind would certainly have been easier, but I knew, even then, that I don't deserve _easy_."

Gemini couldn't believe how much she'd said. She'd opened her mouth to give Kingsley a simple answer and had been overcome with a flood of thoughts and emotions she hadn't even known she possessed.

Seeming satisfied in some way with her response, Kingsley offered Gemini a small smile and nodded, "Very well, Ms. Malfoy. I believe that will be all the court needs from you." Addressing the full courtroom, Kingsley announced, "The court will adjourn to deliberate the verdict. All those who are not Wizengamot members should recess to the main atrium, while the accused returns to her holding cell to await sentencing."

Gemini let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, as the two nimrod guards approached her once more. It was over. For better or worse, her fate now rested squarely on the shoulders of the Wizengamot. Turning to the back of the courtroom, Gemini craned her neck to try to catch a glimpse of Draco, but the crowd was thick and, with everyone standing to exit, she couldn't see much past the fifth row. Turning back towards the guards, Gemini allowed them to unshackle her feet and arms and re-cuff her with her hands behind her back.

The holding cell she was rather unceremoniously dumped in was the same dingy room she'd been held in just before the trial began.

"Better than the cell in Azkaban, at least," Gemini muttered as the cell door slammed shut behind her.

Thinking of her cold cell in Azkaban sent a shiver down Gemini's spine. The six by eight foot cell which had housed her for nearly the past three months, from just hours after the final battle up until that very morning, held very few comforts. The cold, stone floors were persistently damp, a side effect of the constant mist which plagued the Dementor-infested prison and the only place to sit had been on a very thin, rough mattress pad on the ground. The Azkaban-issue prison garment Gemini wore was long sleeved and fell to her ankles like a poor facsimile of a night gown, but, as ugly as the garment was, its coverage had been all Gemini had to bar against the prison's freezing cold. Until she had set foot in the holding cell this morning, Gemini had felt she may never be warm again.

Relishing the relatively warm, at least by comparison, cell and the luxury of a raised cot, Gemini took the opportunity to lay down and doze off for what could be the last semi-comfortable rest she would get in her entire life.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 **A/N:** I don't speak any French so the little French you'll see in this fic is all courtesy of Google translate. I apologize in advance for that. If you want more, please say so in the comments box!

 _ **Le Recommençant**_

 **Chapter 6**

 **September 1, 1991 – Paris, France**

The Latin Quarter was particularly busy that Sunday afternoon, filled with American tourists eating crepes, muggle French women selling baguettes, and children bounding up and down the streets with little regard for other patrons.

"Of course the entrance to le Quartier Magique would be in the most utterly mundane area of Paris," lamented her mother. "Come along, Gemini. I don't want to spend any more time in the company of muggles than I have to."

Gemini tore her gaze from the bakery shop window she had been admiring and scurried after her mother who had quickened her pace ahead of her. Why they couldn't just port key directly to the magical district of Paris to meet the Beauxbaton's carriage was beyond her. Her mother had mentioned something about international magical travel laws, but her parents had never seemed to have an issue flouting the law before so why start now? Perhaps the Malfoy name didn't pull quite the same respect outside of London, Gemini thought.

"The letter described a bright purple store front with blacked out windows as the entrance, Mother. I don't see any of those ahead, perhaps we've missed it?" questioned Gemini, following closely on Narcissa's coattails.

Glaring at anyone who dared come within a wand arm's reach of her person, Narcissa continued to plow ahead as she responded, "Of course you don't see it ahead, Gemini. It's concealed from those who do not know it's there. We likely won't see it until we've nearly passed it." Accepting that she would not be getting a more satisfactory answer than that, Gemini fell into step just behind her mother and continued to take in her muggle surroundings.

Lucius and Narcissa had been very careful to shield Gemini and Draco from all muggle culture and influences so Gemini had only the vaguest understanding of what common muggle devices such as cars and eclectricity were, based on passing references from the children of the few half-bloods which ran in the same social circle as the Malfoys. The sight of Vespas zooming by and bright neon signs in front of the muggle shops were fascinating and Gemini longed to break away from her mother and explore this new world of non-magical oddities. Appearing unduly interested in the surrounding mugglry would upset her mother greatly though and Gemini knew Narcissa was nearly at the end of her tether already that day, so she kept close and held tight to the unaffected mask she had in place almost 24/7.

Narcissa halted suddenly, causing Gemini, whose attention had been on a muggle man vigorously carving what appeared to be a giant cone of meat, to run headlong into her mother's back. Narcissa teetered a bit, but managed to keep her footing. Unfortunately, Gemini hadn't inherited quite the same level of Black poise and so found herself sprawled rather gracelessly on the cobbled street, looking up at the blue sky above.

"Gemini, get up at once! You're ruining your clothes on this filthy muggle street," Narcissa screeched.

Beginning to sit up, Gemini was startled when a slightly calloused hand suddenly appeared in front of her. Allowing her eyes to follow the hand's path up to the owner's face, Gemini found a dark haired boy perhaps a couple years older than herself, looking at her expectantly.

"Permettez-moi de vous aider, madame. Cela ressemblait à une chute que vous venez de prendre," the boy spoke.

Having brushed up on her French a bit since learning of her attendance at Beauxbatons, Gemini knew he'd said something along the lines of "please let me help you" and lamented her fall. Not stopping to think on the fact that this boy was, in all likelihood, a muggle, Gemini began to automatically reach for his hand, captivated by the curious spark behind the boy's green eyes.

"Éloigne-toi d'elle – ne touchez pas ma fille!" interrupted Narcissa, looking between the pair of them in scandal. (Stay away from her – do not touch my daughter!)

The boy's hand yanked away from her just as Gemini was about to grasp it. Her hand clutching on air where she had expected a solid hand, Gemini fell back towards the ground once more. Not waiting for another hand to be offered, she scrambled to correct her footing before her mother could scold the poor boy further.

"I'm fine, Mother. He was just trying to help," Gemini muttered quietly. Bidding the stunned boy a swift thank you and turning back to her mother, Gemini continued, "This is it then?"

They stood before what appeared to be a rather ordinary, abandoned store front. The shop windows were blacked out and the door was painted a bright purple with a sign that read, "Out to Lunch, back in 30 minutes", in English and French with a picture of a clock showing the time 30 minutes from then.

"What do you suppose that means? It doesn't look like anyone owns this shop anymore," Gemini wondered out loud.

Not bothering to respond to her daughter, Narcissa shook her head to clear it of the startling encounter with the muggle boy and stepped up to the door. She checked her pocket watch briefly then used wandless magic to change the time on the clock to the correct time. Gemini figured this must be the Parisian equivalent to tapping the right bricks at the Leaky Cauldron, because as soon as the time on the picture clock changed, the door swung open to reveal a bustling street, much like the one she was currently standing in only sans muggle devices, on the other side. Not taking too much time to ponder the peculiarity what was a door between worlds, Gemini followed her mother into le Quartier Magique, the purple door closing promptly behind her.

 **July 26, 1998 – Ministry of Magic: Holding Cell**

Gemini started awake at the sound of a key loudly scraping the lock of her holding cell and struggled for a moment to get her bearings.

"Have sweet dreams, girly?" mocked the guard who stood in the door.

"Fuck off," Gemini muttered in response, still trying to come to her full senses after the strange dream/memory she'd been awoken from. Sitting up and rubbing the back of her neck to try to shake off the memory of her first trip to le Quartier Magique and the green eyed muggle boy, Gemini asked, "Is it time then?"

"Yes, time to find out just how much more we'll be seeing of each other," jeered the guard, giving her a lewd look and pulling her up roughly from the cot.

"Get away me from you pig," exclaimed Gemini, at her wits end with the manhandling she'd experienced thus far at the hands of the Azkaban guards.

Twisting her arm behind her back, the guard slammed Gemini into the wall of the cell, the side of her face pressing hard into the rough stone. Stepping closer so his front was flush with her back, the guard hissed in her ear, "You had better learn some respect, girl. I can make your time in Azkaban so bad you'll be begging for the Kiss. Don't test me." The guard's left hand, which wasn't preoccupied twisting her arm into the center of her back, drifted down and grabbed a handful of her ass. "I can't wait to see this sweet ass on my floor. It's just me and Hendricks who patrol the maximum security floor at night and I'm sure he wouldn't mind taking turns."

Feeling her gut clench at the guard's insinuation, Gemini squeezed her eyes shut and willed the repulsive man to get off her.

She hadn't had to wait long for her wish to be granted. No sooner had she closed her eyes than she felt the man's grasp abruptly removed and heard a resounding crack resonate through the room.

"How dare you lay your hands on my sister?" bellowed Draco, her apparent savior.

Pulling herself away from the wall, Gemini turned to see Draco towering over the guard who, just moments before, had been threatening her. Draco had apparently torn him away from her so roughly that the man had smacked his head on the opposite wall and a small trail of blood was working its way down the side of his face from his forehead.

"You won't get away with touching me, Malfoy," spat the guard as he stood up from his position on the floor.

"I think you forget who you're speaking to, Collins," threatened Draco, "I have the minister's permission to speak with my sister in private for the next ten minutes and you're wasting my time. Get out of my sight before I advise the minister to launch an investigation into yours and Hendricks' activities during your nightly patrols."

Sparing Gemini and Draco one last venomous glare, Collins, a man who Gemini would have preferred to remain nameless, left the room.

The sound of the slamming door resonated through the small room for a moment, before Gemini turned to embrace her brother, burying her face in his chest and clutching onto the front of his robes as though her life depended on it. "Draco! Oh Merlin, it's so good to see you – I thought they may not let you see me." Choking on a sob, Gemini took a few steadying gulps of air. "I thought… Well I thought I may never see you again."

"Never see me again?" Draco scoffed, beginning to rub circles on her back, "As though anyone could keep us apart? I may have been acquitted, but I won't hesitate to commit a crime befitting the maximum security floor of Azkaban, if it means I'll end up in a cell next to you. The Dark Lord could not break us, Gemini, and I won't let these Ministry bureaucrats come between us! Not when we're this close to freedom."

"Absolutely not, Draco Arcturus Malfoy! Regardless of my fate, you will not do _anything_ which could land you in Azkaban. It would be an insult to everything we have worked for and sacrificed. No. I won't have it," Gemini exclaimed, jerking back from the embrace a bit to look Draco in the eyes imploringly.

"Well I can't let you go there alone," Draco retorted angrily. "Not after the threats Collins just made! I promise you, he and Hendricks will made good on that threat if given the opportunity. They were my guards for nearly three months – I saw firsthand what those sadistic fucks are capable of."

"Then we'll just have to make sure they aren't given the opportunity. If the outcome of my trial is Azkaban, I'll demand to be Kissed immediately," Gemini stated calmly, returning her head to Draco's chest and closing her eyes to try to make out the rhythm of Draco's heart. "By law, they'll have to honor my request."

The circles Draco had been rubbing on her back halted and Draco's entire body seemed to tense in her embrace. "No. Please no, Gemi. I'll demand a retrial. I won't stop until you're released. Just please promise me you won't do something so foolish," Draco pleaded.

"I can't promise you I won't do something foolish," Gemini responded teasingly. "I've always been quite good at that you know."

"Don't fob me off, Gemi. I'm not kidding. If the outcome of this trial isn't what we hope, please give me a chance to make it right. Please," Draco continued to plead.

"Oh, all right," Gemini relented. "If the Wizen-bloody-gamot decides to lock me up for good, I promise to wait at least a year before demanding the Kiss. That's as good as you'll get from me, Draco."

Relaxing a bit in her embrace, Draco responded, "Not good enough, but I'll take it."

When a knock came on the door about five minutes later, Draco and Gemini were still holding each other in the middle of the room, both reluctant to end what may be their last embrace.

"It's time," called Hendricks roughly from the other side of the door.

Moving to hold Gemini by the shoulders at arm's length, Draco looked her in the eyes and remarked, "Keep your chin up, Gemi. There's hope for us yet." Draco placed a swift kiss on her temple and opened the door for Hendricks.

"If you or your buddy Collins steps so much as a _toe_ out of line around my sister, I will slit your throats and serve your fat carcasses to your wives for dinner," Draco hissed, stepping threateningly into the other man's space.

"Draco go," Gemini interrupted, not wanting to cause a scene before going before the court again. After a moment, Draco listened to his sister, making sure to knock the man's shoulder on his way out.

With just her and the two leering guards left in the room, Gemini felt her nerves return.

"Turn around," ordered Hendricks, stepping up to her with the handcuffs. Gemini did as ordered and soon found her hands cuffed behind her back once more. "Let's go."

Hendricks walked Gemini down the dimly lit hallway, towards the entrance of the courtroom, Collins following closely behind. With every step she took, Gemini could feel the lead ball in her stomach growing heavier and her heart seemed to beat impossibly slow in her chest. They paused at the end of the hall, behind the closed doors, and waited for the double doors to open, cueing their entrance.

It was a couple minutes of tense waiting with Collins and Hendricks flanking her on either side before the doors swung out and light from the jam packed courtroom spilled into the dimly lit hallway. Pushed forward slightly by Hendricks, Gemini tried to enter the courtroom with more dignity this time than she had last. She held her head up, but looked no one in the eye. She kept her gaze fixed on the interrogation chair they were headed towards and waited while Hendricks attached the ankle chains at the base of the chair to her legs. That done, he didn't spare her another glance before moving to join Collins at the side of the room.

"All rise for the honorable, Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt," called the court clerk from the front of the Minister's dias.

Everyone, Gemini included, rose and waited as a tired looking Kingsley took his seat at the head of the Wizengamot. Once seated, Kingsley allowed himself a moment to survey the room before announcing, "You may be seated. Ms. Malfoy, please remain standing." Gemini halted her decent into the interrogation chair, and stood straighter, meeting Kingsley's stare.

"It was a long and arduous deliberation, but the Wizengamot has come to an agreement on the verdict and sentencing of Gemini Aurora Malfoy. By a fifty-three percent majority, this court has ruled as follows: On the count of willful allegiance to the Deatheater organization and service to Lord Voldemort, the court finds Gemini Aurora Malfoy not guilty."

Gasps rang out around the room and Gemini felt a cool rush of astonishment course through her body. Not guilty? Had they not seen the mark on her arm? She didn't understand what Kingsley was playing at.

Pausing a moment to allow the room to settle down and sparing the audience one withering glare as a reminder of his former threat, Kingsley continued, "On the count of murder in the first degree of an unarmed muggle, the court finds the defendant not guilty, as the defendant was faced with an unconscionable choice between the life of her brother and the life of another."

The atmosphere in the room shifted at this. Astonishment was replaced with outrage and murmurs of dissent rumbled through the room. Pressing through the din of dissention, Kingsley persisted, "On the count of innumerable uses of unforgivable curses, the court downgrades the charge to improper use of magic and finds the defendant guilty."

Gemini couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was as though the Wizengamot had decided against punishing her for any of her wrong doings during the war. Even the guilty charge of improper use of magic was laughable in the face of her other potential charges. Just one more pardon to go and she could be a free woman…

"And finally, on the count of accessory to the murder of Albus Dumbledore, the court finds Gemini Aurora Malfoy, guilty."

So that was it then, Gemini thought. They were making themselves appear magnanimous by throwing out the lesser charges, but sticking it to her on the one crime the wizarding world could not let go unpunished. The fact that Draco, who had been the one to ultimately let the Deatheaters into the school, had been set free and yet she was about to be locked away for aiding him stung a bit.

Gemini's desperate thoughts were interrupted when Kingsley called for her attention once more. Looking right at Gemini, Kingsley explained, "The court has taken into consideration the fact that you were under age at the time of these crimes and that you were perhaps led astray by your familial obligations and parents' allegiance to Lord Voldemort. Your sentencing reflects this understanding."

Directing his speech to the wider audience, Kingsley pressed forward, "Sentencing for the convicted crimes is as follows: the defendant will spend the remainder of the summer in isolation, away from the rest of the magical world. She will be given into the care of a trusted magical family and not be permitted to practice magic of any kind during her stay in their home. On the 1st of September, the defendant will board the Hogwarts Express to be taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where she will attend the elective eighth year being offered. During this time, the defendant will have access to her wand only during lessons and be required to submit her wand to her professors at the end of each class. Should the defendant have a need to use her wand for practical study outside of lessons, supervised study will be arranged. Following her graduation and completion of at least three NEWTS, the defendant will be subject to one year of magical probation, in which contact and residency within the magical world is permitted, but possession of a wand is not. Following the probationary period and pending good behavior and compliance on all counts, the defendant's full rights and amenities as a citizen of Britain's magical community will be reinstated and the defendant's record cleared of all charges. Should the defendant breach the terms of this sentence at any time, she will be sent to Azkaban prison to live out the remainder of her sentence there. Are the terms of this punishment clear, Ms. Malfoy?"

"Yes, sir," responded Gemini, still quite unable to comprehend the Wizengamot's leniency.

"Excellent," Kingsley nodded. "In that case, this court is adjourned."

As soon as Kingsley announced that court was adjourned, Gemini's shackles evaporated into smoke. Standing frozen in place, she let the news of her sentence wash over her. No more Azkaban. She hadn't realized quite how resigned to her Azkaban fate she had been until she felt the weight of it lifted off her shoulders. In fact, Gemini had a suspicion that the weight she felt being lifted was, in fact, the weight of the past several years combined – the pressure to conform and perform, the stress of Draco's task and the burden of her own crimes, the constant threat of death at every turn, and the looming possibility of life in Azkaban. The realization that it was truly over and she was going to, at least one day, be completely free overwhelmed her. Collapsing into the interrogation chair and burying her head in her hands, Gemini sobbed tears of relief.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 **A/N:** I don't speak any French so the little French you'll see in this fic is all courtesy of Google translate. I apologize in advance for that. If you want more, please say so in the comments box!

 _ **Le Recommençant**_

 **Chapter 7**

 **July 26, 1998 – Ministry of Magic: Lower Courtroom**

(FLASH!)

Gemini was jarred from her moment alone by the flash of a camera and the realization that, while she had been privately reconciling with her new fate, hungry members of the press had moved in and were now surrounding her in the interrogation chair, hounding her with questions.

"Ms. Malfoy, what do you make of the Wizengamot's leniency? How can you live with yourself knowing your crimes go unpunished?" one reporter shouted.

Not waiting for an answer, another reported asked, "What family will you be staying with? Who has agreed to take in a Deatheater?"

"What is your reaction to the news that you won't be returning to Beauxbatons?" interrupted yet another.

The questions kept coming, but Gemini ignored them. Standing from the chair, she craned her neck looking for Draco. She spotted his platinum head near the back of the crowd, trying in vain to push through to masses to get to her. Having never felt very comfortable in such close proximity to others and even less so now that she had the experience of a war on her back, Gemini felt herself beginning to panic. The press pushed in closer when she stood and Gemini felt as though walls were closing in around her. She could feel a warm flush staring to creeping up her neck and sweat begin to gather on her forehead as she realized she was trapped.

Thankfully, she wasn't trapped for long. A hand reached out from between two of the more eager reporters and grabbed her right arm, dragging her forcefully through the crowd. The grip let up somewhat once they broke through the throng of reporters, but remained firm on her bicep as it pulled her back towards the hallway where her holding cell was. Once in the clear hallway, Gemini was finally able to see who had saved her from that mess.

"Harry Potter?" Gemini gasped, yanking her arm out of his grip.

"That's me," responded Harry. "You're welcome, by the way."

Bristling somewhat at the insinuation that the Boy Who Lived had done anything worth her thanks, Gemini said, "You didn't have to do that."

Harry let out a small, bemused chuckle and replied, "Of course I did. There's no way you'd have made it through that crowd by yourself unscathed and Mrs. Weasley would have my head if I let her newest charge become damaged in anyway."

"I've no idea what you're talking about and I really don't care. I want to see Draco right away, so if you'll excuse me," Gemini weakly replied, already beginning to make her way back towards the courtroom where she'd last seen Draco.

"You'll have to wait until Mrs. Weasley comes to get you. I imagine she's caught up in the same mess we were so it may be a moment," Harry called after her. Gemini didn't care what Harry Potter had to say so she continued forward as though he hadn't spoken.

"Hey!" Harry called, jogging a bit to catch up with her before she re-entered the mayhem in the courtroom. With his height advantage, it only took Harry a few short strides to reach Gemini. Once close enough, Harry reached out and grabbed her by the bicep, twisting her around to face him so he could explain.

(SMACK)

Harry saw stars as Gemini's open palm made solid contact with the side of his face. He released her arm immediately and looked at her in bewilderment.

"Don't touch me!" spat Gemini, chest heaving with rage.

"Merlin, what is your problem? I was just trying to tell you that you can't leave until Mrs. Weasley comes to collect you. She's volunteered to house you for the next month and leaving without her would be a breach of your sentencing agreement," Harry explained angrily, not understanding why Gemini had reacted so violently.

"Well you could have just said so," managed Gemini, beginning to feel a bit shamefaced for her overreaction. "I don't like being touched." Gemini paused for a moment as though debating what to say next before settling on, "How's your cheek?"

Noticing that though Gemini appeared at least a bit contrite, she hadn't bothered with an apology. How utterly Malfoy of her, Harry thought. "I'll recover," he responded.

They waited together in the hallway in silence for a few more minutes until Draco arrived looking a little worse for wear after struggling through the crowd.

"Draco!" Gemini exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. Draco appeared just as happy to see her, as he returned her embrace with equal measure and even spun her around a bit. 'Doesn't like to be touched' my arse. She just didn't want to be touched by me, thought Harry irritably.

"It's done, Gemi. Over. We can finally move on with our lives," Draco whispered to Gemini, his face buried in her dirty hair.

Their reunion was cut short by the boisterous arrival of the woman Gemini presumed to be Mrs. Weasley, based on her bright red hair and Potter's insistence that she'd be right along.

"Good heavens!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, "That crowd is outrageous! I don't think they've even noticed you left dear. They're all still in there clamoring for a word from you." Noticing the blank stare she was receiving from Gemini, Mrs. Weasley continued, "Oh, where are my manners today? Must have forgotten them at home. I'm Molly Weasley, you can call me Molly."

Mrs. Weasley extended her hand to Gemini who merely stared at it distrustfully for a moment before Draco nudged her forward. Grasping Mrs. Weasley's hand weakly in her own, Gemini responded, "Gemini Malfoy. Pleasure to meet you, Ma'am."

Ignoring Gemini's near faux pas, Mrs. Weasley nodded and explained, "Right, now let's get this paperwork out of the way and then we can all head on home for supper. It's a bit late, but I can pull something together." Taking a moment to really look at Gemini, she questioned, "You're all skin and bones, dear. Did they not feed you at all?"

No, Gemini thought bitterly, they fed me just enough to keep me alive for my trial and nothing more. Not wanting to wind Mrs. Weasley up any further, Gemini responded, "I just didn't have much appetite, Ma'am."

"Well, I can fix that," Mrs. Weasley assured. "Come along dears. We'll be meeting the minister in his office to finalize your release and then it's straight off to the Burrow."

Gemini had no idea what a burrow was, but she followed Mrs. Weasley none the less. She and Draco fell into step a couple paces behind Mrs. Weasley and Potter.

"Draco, what's happening? If I'm to go with this Weasley woman, where are you going? I never got the full details of your sentence you know," whispered Gemini worriedly.

Taking hold of her left hand, Draco squeezed it reassuringly and replied, "Don't worry, Gemi. I'm not leaving you. My sentence is the exact same as yours."

Gemini nodded and fell silent for a moment as she pondered this news. She was about to open her mouth to ask Draco where he was staying for the next month, but was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley.

"Here we are," she proclaimed. Knocking on the door to the minister's office, Mrs. Weasley said, "Let's just hope Kingsley isn't still stuck in the mayhem downstairs." Almost as soon as she'd finished expressing her doubt, the office door swung open and Kingsley called for them to enter.

Inside, the office was round with what appeared to be custom fitted furniture with curved edges to maximize space in the oddly shaped room. The walls were a bright orange and the furniture was a mix of a garish mustard yellow and lime green. The entire effect was enough to make Gemini feel slightly dizzy, so she reached out a steadying hand to the person to her left. After her dizzy spell passed, Gemini looked up to find Harry Potter looking questioningly at her and glancing between her and the hand she had on his shoulder.

Feeling the telltale warming of her cheeks begin to give away her embarrassment, Gemini snatched her hand way quickly and looked anywhere but at Potter.

"Ms. Malfoy, I am so sorry for the chaos in the courtroom. I had no idea the press would swarm you like that, otherwise I'd have called for your exit before mine," apologized Kingsley.

"No harm done, Minister," replied Gemini, though she silently agreed that he'd been foolish to think the press wouldn't try to take advantage of the easy access to her.

Nodding slightly, Kingsley gestured towards the two chairs in front of his desk, "Please take a seat Ms. Malfoy, Mrs. Weasley." Turning towards Draco and Harry, the minister said, "My office is a bit cramped with five people, you boys don't mind standing do you?"

Draco and Harry both indicated their acceptance and moved to stand on opposite sides of the room, Harry by Mrs. Weasley and Draco by Gemini.

"Mrs. Weasley, you should be familiar with what all this says from completing Draco's release papers, but I'll give an overview for Gemini here," Kingsley stated, looking at Mrs. Weasley. Turning to Gemini, Kingsley explained, "Mrs. Weasley has volunteered to house both you and Draco for the duration of the summer. You should be very grateful she has offered to help you – it was extremely difficult to find volunteers to take one, much less both, of you and not all those who volunteered were quite as selfless as the Weasleys."

"I understand," replied Gemini. Turning to Mrs. Weasley, she said, "I will see to it that your family is adequately compensated for housing Draco and I, Mrs. Weasley. You and your children shall want for nothing."

Mrs. Weasley shook her head and replied gently, "I don't want your money, dear. I'm just doing what I hope someone would do for my children, if our situations were reversed. After all, you and your brother are still children even though you've been faced with some very adult challenges. My house is feeling rather empty these days anyway – it will be nice to have some company."

Gemini nodded and turned back to Kingsley for further explanation of the terms of her sentence. She did not understand the Weasley woman's motivations in the slightest; no one had ever done something for Gemini without expecting something in return. The woman would have a price, Gemini was sure, and clearly she just hadn't determined yet what that price was.

Kingsley brought Gemini out of her pessimistic ruminations by placing a copy of her sentencing contract in front of her, "Ms. Malfoy, please feel free to read this document in detail, but I will summarize it for you now. Essentially you are agreeing to relinquish your wand to the ministry until September 1st, something you have already done since your wand was confiscated during your arrest. Furthermore, you are agreeing to make Mrs. Weasley your legal guardian until your graduation from Hogwarts at the end of June. This means you will have to abide by her house rules and she will be considered your 'next of kin' throughout this arrangement. Should anything happen to you, Mrs. Weasley will be the one with whom medical personnel coordinate."

"Let's hope that's not necessary," interrupted Mrs. Weasley.

"Yes, of course," continued Kingsley. "Furthermore, when you are not at Hogwarts, meaning this summer and Christmas break, you will be required to return to the Weasley residence and will not be allowed to leave the premises for any reason. Trips to Diagon Alley are off the table for now, I'm afraid. As part of this, you will be unable to participate in Hogsmeade weekends while at school."

"Hogwarts or the Weasley residence only. Got it," replied Gemini, beginning to feel a bit irritable at all the stipulations, but trying her best to appear grateful. Limited freedom was better than no freedom, she reminded herself.

"During the school year, you will be allowed the use of your wand during practical instruction or supervised study only. Your professors will each have a special box they will use to access your wand. Anytime they open the box, your wand will appear inside. At all other times, your wand will be held in a highly secure box in the Headmistress's office. The boxes are individually keyed to each professor's touch and will open only for them so you need not worry about anyone else gaining access to your wand," explained Kingsley.

"A stipulation of your sentence is that you must complete a minimum of three NEWTS. Should you fail to obtain at least an Acceptable on three NEWTs, you will be required to submit to an additional 3 months of magical probation for each missed NEWT. Based on your Beauxbaton's transcripts I do have a few concerns about this requirement," Kingsley said, looking at Gemini expectantly.

"Foreign languages were never my forte, sir," Gemini offered by way of vague explanation.

Next to her, Draco snorted, "Not your 'forte'? Merlin that's an understatement if I've ever hear one…"

"Shut up, Draco," Gemini spat moodily. "You weren't much better!"

"I see your marks improved greatly after your third year," observed Kingsley.

"That's because it took her three years to learn enough French to understand her lessons," teased Draco.

Ignoring Draco's interruption, Gemini replied to Kingsley, "Yes, sir. I was a bit slow to gain French fluency so my parents secured a live-in French tutor for me at the end of my second year. I couldn't go anywhere without Madame Rousseau for a full year, but it did the trick."

"I see," responded Kingsley, "Then I will go ahead and have Minerva place you in three NEWT level classes. Do you have a preference on which classes you take? It seems Potions was your strongest subject at Beauxbatons."

Thinking on this a moment, Gemini responded, "Yes, I'd like to go for a Potions NEWT. I think I'd also like to take NEWT level Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense."

"That's four NEWTs, Ms. Malfoy," Kingsley observed doubtfully.

Narrowing her gaze at Kingsley, Gemini explained, "My Beauxbatons record may not be stellar, Minister, but I assure you I can handle the course load. If you remember, I was a bit distracted during my schooling there and, as my brother so kindly pointed out, my French was terrible. I look forward to the opportunity to study in my own language and can promise I will drop one of the classes after Christmas, if my performance is struggling."

"Very well, Ms. Malfoy. If it means so much to you, I will have a word with Minerva about your placement in four NEWT classes. It will, ultimately, be the decision of the individual professors as to whether they accept you into their classes. The ministry will mandate three NEWTs, but the fourth is at the discretion of the school. Understood?" Kingsley asked.

"Yes," Gemini responded coolly.

"The last item we need to address is your magical probation," Kingsley began again. "The primary stipulation of your probation is that you will continue to not have free use of your wand. Once you finish school, your wand will be transferred to a secure ministry lock box where it will be stored until the 1st of July, 2000, the estimated end date for your probation. During your probationary period, you are permitted unrestricted access to the magical community of Great Britain, but you will not be allowed to leave the country or enter the muggle world. Reasonable exceptions can be brought before your probation officer, should they arise. We will meet again at the end of your schooling to discuss your probation arrangement in more detail. Do you have any questions, Ms. Malfoy?"

"No, sir. I don't have any questions," responded Gemini.

"Excellent. I will provide you a copy of this documentation – I recommend you take some time to read through it in its entirety over the next few days" Kingsley replied. Turning to Mrs. Weasley, he said, "If you do not have any questions Molly, all I need is your signature and then you all can be off."

"No questions from me, Kinsley," Mrs. Weasley answered, pulling the official contract agreement on Kingsley's desk closer to her and taking up the purple ink quill next to it. After Mrs. Weasley signed her name with a flourish at the bottom of the contract, the contract parchment rolled itself up and disappeared with a small pop.

"And it's off to the internal records office," Kingsley smiled.

Gathering her bag, Mrs. Weasley gave Kingsley a large hug, before turning to her charges and saying, "Alright, let's go home!"

On their way to the ministry floos, Harry, Draco, and Gemini resumed their previous positions, Harry next to Mrs. Weasley and Draco and Gemini following closely behind.

Turning to Mrs. Weasley, Harry asked in a hushed tone, "Is the family aware that you're coming home with not one, but two Malfoys, Mrs. Weasley?"

A small smile flitted at the corners of her mouth when she responded, "Arthur is aware. He and I agreed that this is the right thing to do."

Not missing how Mrs. Weasley had omitted any of her children from that statement, Harry pressed, "Does Ron know he'll be having dinner with the twins Malfoy tonight? No one was home yesterday, as they were all at Grimmauld Place for my birthday party, but I can't imagine anyone, particularly Ron, will be very pleased with this turn of events."

"Harry, you let me worry about the reactions of my children. I can handle them. If it displeases them so, I'm sure you can make room for them at your house this summer," Mrs. Weasley offered.

Brightening at this, Harry replied, "Actually, that's brilliant! I'll invite everyone to stay the next few weeks at mine. We'll come over for Sunday dinners at the Burrow of course, but otherwise we stay out of sight. Unfortunately, I think that may be the only way you get any peace until September."

Frowning slightly, but recognizing the truth of Harry's words, Mrs. Weasley said, "I don't like it, but I'll accept it. It won't do for Draco and Gemini to be mistreated while under my roof and I can't guarantee my hoodlum children won't do something stupid. Thank you for your help, Harry."

"No problem, Mrs. Weasley," Harry replied, not believing his luck. He was certain Mrs. Weasley didn't realize she'd just agreed to let her daughter stay with her boyfriend for the remainder of the summer. Ginny would be pleased. "I'll let you break the news to everyone tonight and then I'll swoop in to save the day with the offer to stay at Grimmauld Place. This should be fun."

Mrs. Weasley let out a disapproving grunt and shook her head at Harry's delight, but pushed silently forward to the ministry floos which were now in sight.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 **A/N:** Thank you all for the kind reviews this fic has received thus far. I've been pretty busy lately so this chapter took longer to post than I had hoped. If you're liking this story so far, please let me know – I love feedback!

 _ **Le Recommençant**_

 **Chapter 8**

 **July 26, 1998 – The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole**

Gemini was the first to exit the floo at the Weasley residence, or "The Burrow", as she'd heard it called. The first thing she noticed, upon exiting the dirty grate, was that, for such a large family, the home appeared to be extremely small.

Reaching a hand above her, Gemini noted that her finger tips could graze the exposed beams of the ceiling above. The room she was standing in was, she supposed, the living room, though how much "living" could feasibly be done in such a tiny space, Gemini was uncertain. The room consisted of a small, threadbare sofa and love seat and a worn coffee table situated directly in front of the fire place. Just behind the love seat, flush against the wall was a sagging, floor to ceiling bookcase loaded down with what appeared to be a strange mixture of old school text books, cook books, photo albums, and assorted knick knacks. Gemini wondered for a moment how she even knew what a "knick knack" was – she'd certainly never owned one. She supposed that was beside the point though.

Distracted as she was with taking in her new surroundings, Gemini forgot that the rest of the group would be coming through behind her at any moment. She was rather harshly reminded of this when a hard body slammed into her back and sent her bum over tea kettle over the coffee table, landing in an ungraceful heap on the sofa.

"Blimey," Potter exclaimed. "Did you not think it prudent to maybe move _away_ from the fireplace after exiting?"

Struggling to right herself on the couch, Gemini stubbornly replied, "I was just moving when you decided to body slam me. Perhaps you should have _waited_ a moment before following directly behind me!"

Potter looked like he was about to retort, but the argument was cut short by Draco's arrival, followed shortly by Mrs. Weasley.

Dusting the soot off her dress skirt, Mrs. Weasley addressed Gemini, "Welcome to the Burrow! It may not look like much, but it's home."

Sparing Potter a withering glare, Gemini tore her gaze away from him to acknowledge Mrs. Weasley, "It's perfectly adequate. Thank you for allowing me into your home."

Harry let out a small snort of derision at her use of "perfectly adequate," contemplating internally if the snobbery of Malfoys had any limits.

Ignoring Potter, Gemini continued, "Where shall I situate myself? I would quite like to wash up and obtain a change of clothes, if one is available. If not, I suppose a quick scourgify of this garment would do."

Gemini sincerely hoped the Ministry had arranged for some of her personal affects to be transferred to the Weasley home. She couldn't bear even one more minute in the Azkaban standard, but she didn't want to sound like a brat.

"Oh goodness, yes," replied Mrs. Weasley. "How thoughtless of me! Of course you want to wash up."

Moving to stand more directly in front of Gemini, Mrs. Weasley tutted, "You look to be just a bit shorter than my Ginny and you're a sight thinner in your current state. I'm sure I've got something for you in the attic."

Turning to Draco, Mrs. Weasley continued, "Draco, could you please show your sister where the two of you will be staying and where the washroom is? There should be fresh towels in the washroom already."

"Of course, Mrs. Weasley," Draco replied with a small incline of his head. "This way, Gemini."

Gemini offered Mrs. Weasley a brief nod of acknowledgement as well, before turning to follow her brother up a set of narrow, rickety stairs. The stairs appeared to run along the perimeter of the house and extend endlessly upward. Every two flights Gemini and Draco would reach a new landing which had 2-3 doors each. All the doors they encountered were shut so Gemini had no idea how many were bedrooms versus closets versus bathrooms. Though laid out rather unconventionally, the house was quite a bit larger than Gemini had originally given it credit for.

Gemini's breath was labored, by the time they reached the third landing. Azkaban wasn't exactly known for its exercise opportunities, so she was unaccustomed to such strenuous activity.

"Merlin, Draco, how much further?" Gemini gasped.

"We're the fifth landing, just under the attic," Draco explained, between breaths. Having been in her shoes just the day before, Draco found the altitude of their living quarters equally challenging.

When they finally reached the top floor, both Gemini and Draco slumped against the wall to catch their breath.

"That's going to take some getting used to," breathed Gemini.

"Yes," responded Draco. "I've only been here one night, but I've already crossed midnight trips to the kitchen for water off my list of desirable activities. I nearly decided to sleep on the couch, rather than face the stairs again last night."

Shooting Draco a small smile, Gemini said, "Note to self: never forget anything in my bedroom."

Having sufficiently caught his breath, Draco moved into the landing and approached the door on the left. "This is my room, if you can really call it that."

Gemini peeked her head in and saw that the "room" was really more of a closet and not much bigger than the Azkaban cells. It was sparsely furnished with a twin bed, a night stand, and a narrow dresser. The room's one redeeming quality appeared to be a large window, which took up almost the entire width of the back wall and, through which, the late afternoon sun was generously streaming.

"Brilliant," Gemini pouted. "Assuming the room across from yours is mine, it looks like I'll be waking up with the sun every day."

"Perk of being released first," Draco responded cheekily. "I got to choose my room."

"Prat," Gemini replied. Not waiting for Draco to show her to the other rooms, Gemini crossed the hall and opened another door. The room appeared to be exactly the same as Draco's, only it was much darker inside, due to its Easterly orientation. Not sparing the room much thought, Gemini approached the last door on the landing, which she hoped was the washroom.

She was not disappointed. Inside was a surprisingly spacious washroom with a claw foot tub-shower combo, a toilet, and a vanity. Approaching the vanity slowly, Gemini saw her reflection for the first time in three months.

"Oh," Gemini gasped. She hardly recognized the girl in front of her. Gone were the silky, platinum blonde curls which used to flow elegantly down her head to the middle of her back. In their place, sat a mop of matted, grayish-yellow hair which stuck out in all directions. Minus the color, her hair bore a scary resemblance to her late Aunt Bella's, Gemini thought.

"Bit of a shock, isn't it?" Draco spoke from over her shoulder. "You may be better off just shaving your head."

Gemini glared are Draco's reflection, not appreciating his unhelpful suggestion. Deciding to ignore him, she continued her self-examination. Raising a hand to her face, Gemini lightly touched the small gash on her temple. She'd almost forgotten it was there. Had Gemini not been so shocked at the time, she may have taken a moment to appreciate how good Mrs. Brown's aim had been. She supposed the wound had bled quite a lot, if the dried trail of blood down the side of her face and neck was any indication. She looked positively dreadful.

"Merlin," Gemini lamented, "The morning edition of the Prophet won't have seen a more ghastly sight,"

"Now that's not true," Draco offered teasingly. "We've quite a long line of family photos which have graced the cover of the prophet – Aunt Bella, Cousin Sirius, Father, Me – and no one of our breeding does well in Azkaban. We all looked like shit post-Azkaban."

"What a brilliant family tradition," grimaced Gemini. "Get out. I'd like to see what vestige of my former self I can salvage without the use of magic."

"Good luck," Draco replied, as he retreated from the washroom, closing the door softly behind him.

Gemini continued to scrutinize her reflection a moment longer, before shedding her Azkaban garb and turning on the shower tap. Stepping into the hot water, Gemini let out a moan of contentment. Bliss, she thought. This is bliss. With her head hung, Gemini let the hot water scald her body for a while and simply watched as the clear water ran down her extremely thin body. As months of built up grime was slowly washed off her body, the water at her feet turned an ugly dark gray before swirling down the drain. Gemini eventually picked up the soap and began scrubbing.

Once she was satisfied that she'd adequately removed the stench of Azkaban from her body, she moved on to her hair. Months without a wash or a hair brush had wreaked havoc on her hair. She tried her best to clean it, but her fingers kept getting stuck in the awful mats. She spent a full ten minutes working out one of the hundreds of mats before she noticed the water running cold. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Gemini gave up on her hair, stepped out of the shower, and resolved to find a solution to her hair problem after she'd dried off and put on whatever hand me down outfit Mrs. Weasley had picked out for her.

Gemini didn't mean to seem ungrateful. She was exceptionally grateful, she just didn't know how to show it. Showing gratitude wasn't exactly something she and Draco had much experience with, in fact, their shared upbringing had essentially taught them that expressing gratitude was beneath them. She wasn't stupid enough to believe that anymore, but it didn't change the fact that old habits die hard and she would have to practice showing gratitude before it would come naturally. A good start, she thought, would be not complaining about the god awful ensemble Mrs. Weasley had laid out for her.

Mrs. Weasley had gathered several articles of clothing for Gemini. Sitting on top of the dresser, there was a selection of pajamas, socks, undergarments, shirts, a pair of jeans, and a pair of shorts. It was obvious that Mrs. Weasley had hand-picked Gemini's dinner wear though, because, set out in the middle of the bed, was a very girlish, yellow sun dress with ruching at the neck and waist and tiny white daisies along the hem. With the dress was a pair of plain white ballet flats and a long-sleeved white cardigan. Gemini was fairly certain she'd never worn an ensemble this bright and cheery in her entire life. Her typical color palette was decidedly neutral, if a little dark. At least there's a cardigan, she mused, not eager to have her Dark Mark on display.

After donning the ridiculous garment, Gemini returned to the washroom to try to tame the rat's nest she hesitated to call hair. This would be so much easier with magic, Gemini thought irritably as she yanked the hair brush through her hair. After twenty minutes of yanking and getting the brush stuck in her hair, Gemini's scalp was throbbing and her face was bright red from exertion.

"Ugh, I give up!" Gemini exclaimed, slamming the brush down on the countertop. She took a few calming breaths and shook out her brushing arm, then began scouring the bathroom drawers. The drawers were filled with assorted bathroom essentials and more knick knacks, but Gemini found what she was looking for pushed to the far back of one of the bottom drawers.

"Voilà!" she cried, holding up a pair of scissors.

Though she hadn't appreciated Draco's earlier jibe, she now admitted that he had a point. Gemini was done messing with the awful mop on top of her head and definitely didn't feel comfortable asking Mrs. Weasley for a favor. It's just hair, she told herself. It will grow back.

After a brief mental pep talk, Gemini held a clump of matted hair in front of her face, positioned the scissors just above the mat, and snipped.

"Dear Merlin, what have I done?" Gemini gasped to herself. Seeing the short piece of hair bobbing in front of her face making her go cross-eyed was rather shocking. Okay, she thought, I can do this. Gemini took a calming breath, squared her shoulders and got to work cutting out the rest of the mats. Once all the mats were out and she could run the brush smoothly through her hair, she began trying to even out her new bob.

Taking a step back from the mirror, Gemini surveyed her work. Overall, the look was very natural. Without access to her usual beauty charms and potions, the face looking back at her was completely bare. Grooming Gemini to be a socialite, Narcissa had been sure to arm her daughter with an arsenal of beauty tricks and had drilled into her, sometimes rather relentlessly, the need to project a perfect cool and demure appearance at all times. Even after a good scrub, she hardly recognized the face looking back at her. Her skin was sallow, her cheek bones were sharp, and her eyes held a cold, haunted look. Gemini smiled at her reflection, but the smile looked more like a grimace. Definitely not, she thought, dropping the smile and opting for her usual unreadable expression instead.

Overall, not bad, Gemini assured herself. She had just gotten out of Azkaban, after all. A sharp knock on the washroom door interrupted her internal musings.

"Gemini," Draco called from the other side, "Mrs. Weasley says it's time to eat. Based on the noise coming from downstairs, I'd say we better brace ourselves too. The family has arrived."

When Gemini opened the door, Draco jumped back slightly in surprise.

"Who are you and what have you done to my sister?" Draco exclaimed.

"Stop being so dramatic, Draco." Gemini replied, rolling her eyes.

"You know I was kidding about the whole shaving your head thing, right?" questioned Draco.

"Yes, Draco. I'm not an idiot. I know you were kidding. However, without magic, I decided that your idea did actually have some merit. Shaving is a bit extreme, but I think I wear the bob okay. Is it really awful?" Gemini asked, feeling a bit self-conscious.

Sensing Gemini's unease, Draco gave her a quick once over before responding, "No. It's not bad. It actually maybe suits you, in a way. It's just quite a shock. You've had long hair for as long as I can remember. It's an adjustment is all. That dress, however…"

"Oh stop," Gemini interrupted. "You know very well that I did not choose this outfit. I imagine Mrs. Weasley is just trying to put pretty packaging on the rather unfortunate gift she's about to give her family."

"Unlikely to work, but I give her credit for trying. They all hate me already, but there could be hope for you. Although, the fact that your surname is Malfoy and we once shared womb space are both rather large detractors for you," replied Draco.

"Enough," said Gemini, eager to move away from the current conversation. "You said Mrs. Weasley called us to dinner?"

"Oh, yes," remembered Draco. "We're supposed to go down and wait to be called into the kitchen or something."

"We better get going then," replied Gemini, turning her nose up towards the sky and making her way towards the stairs.

Descending the many flights of stairs was much easier than ascending, Gemini thought on the way down. She and Draco stopped at the top of the last flight of stairs and listened.

"She must not have told them yet," Draco whispered to Gemini. "We'll know when she has because there's sure to be yelling."

"Hush," demanded Gemini quietly. "I want to hear what she's saying."

" _Oh, I'm so glad you all could make it for dinner tonight," said Molly calmly as her family began taking their usual seats around the dinner table._

" _What's with the extra table settings, Mum?" questioned Ginny, as she took her spot next to Harry._

" _Oh, well actually," Molly began, a hint of anxiety creeping into her voice, "I have some news to share with you all."_

" _We_ _have some news to share," corrected Arthur._

" _Yes,_ _we_ _have news for you all," Molly restated, throwing a grateful smile to her husband._

" _Oh my god," Ginny exclaimed, "You're pregnant!"_

 _Conversation instantly broke out around the table at Ginny's exclamation._

" _Wow, that's incredible! I had no idea you could still have babies at your age, Mum!" Ron cried._

" _Congratulations, Mrs. Weasley," added Hermione, sitting next to Ron._

 _Shocked that_ _that_ _was the conclusion her family had jumped to, Molly looked desperately to her husband for support._

" _Quiet down, quiet down," called Arthur. Once his wayward children had settled, he began again, "Your mother in not pregnant. Now, would you like to hear the news we have, or would you like to continue to throw out ridiculous guesses?"_

" _Aw," pouted Ginny, "I was looking forward to no longer being the baby of the family."_

" _I'm sorry, dear," said Molly. "I'm quite certain you're not getting out of that one."_

 _Ginny sulked a bit in her seat, but everyone calmed and looked expectantly at Molly._

" _Perhaps you should just rip off the Band-Aid, Mrs. Weasley," suggested Harry from across the table._

 _Molly was unsure what a "Band-Aid" was, but understood the general sentiment Harry was trying to convey._

" _Yes, I suppose you're right, Harry," replied Molly._

" _What is this news you're being so weird about and why does Harry know about it?" questioned Percy._

" _As you all know, there are many orphans and displaced children from both sides of the war," Molly began wearily. "Well, your father and I have decided to open our home to two of these children."_

" _Wow, that's amazing, Mum!" exclaimed Ginny. "I knew it had something to do with a child. Are they here now? Oh I can't wait to meet them! Maybe I can read them a bedtime story. I'm sure the poor dears have been through a lot."_

Draco couldn't contain the snort of laughter that burst forth at Ginny's assumption that he and Gemini were small children. "What do you say, Gemi? Should we let She-Weasel read us a story?"

Rolling her eyes at Draco's amusement, Gemini retorted, "Oh just shut up, Draco. Mrs. Weasley is just trying to get them warmed up to the idea of having new people in the house."

Draco chuckled a bit more, but returned his attention to the kitchen conversation.

" _Thank you, Ginny dear," continued Mrs. Weasley. "I'm afraid it's not quite that simple. They're here now and I will call them in for dinner in just a moment; however, I have to be honest with you all, they weren't exactly on our side during the war."_

" _You mean their parents were Death Eaters?" questioned Ron dubiously._

" _Uh, yes. I suppose they were," replied Molly. "But that's not quite the whole of it."_

" _We have Death Eater spawn in our house? Mum, how can you think that's possibly a good idea?" interrupted Ron._

" _Ronald Bilius Weasley, if you do not shut your mouth and let me finish, I will send you to bed without supper!" exclaimed Molly, reaching the end of her tether with her children. Ron opened his mouth to argue further, but a harsh look from his father made his close it with a snap._

" _As I was saying," Molly continued, "There are many displaced children from the war. You were all fortunate enough to be born into a loving, accepting family, but not everyone was so lucky. We should not blame these children for the mistakes of their parents, nor should we hold their upbringing against them. They cannot help that they were brought up to believe in blood purity any more than you can help that you were not. I am asking that you all give them a chance to change."_

" _You said there was more?" asked Hermione politely, not wanting to spur Mrs. Weasley's temper, but wanting the facts._

 _Smiling gratefully at Hermione, Mrs. Weasley replied, "Yes, there is more. The children we have taken in are not exactly children anymore. They are twins, both 17."_

" _So no bedtime story then," Ginny quipped._

" _Well dear, I'm sure you could offer, but I don't think either of them would be interested," Molly teased._

" _Molly, I think it's time we called them in," Arthur suggested, knowing that his wife was not going to be able to find the right words to explain their decision to take in the Malfoys and very much wanting the whole ordeal to be over with._

" _Yes, I suppose you're right," Molly replied._

 _Moving to the stairs, Molly called, "Uh, dears you can come down now."_

Gemini and Draco shared a doubtful look and neither made a move to descend the last flight of steps.

"You go first," hissed Draco. "They don't know you so maybe I can just hide behind you or something."

"No need to be nervous, dears. You can come on down now," Mrs. Weasley called again.

Not waiting for a response from Gemini, Draco pushed her forward, causing her to slip and fall on her bum down most of the steps. Grabbing a hold of the banister, Gemini found her footing just before the landing and turned to glare at Draco.

No turning back now, Gemini thought. Squaring her shoulders and bracing herself mentally, she stepped out onto the landing and turned the corner into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Gemini found the Weasley family seated just as she had imagined them to be. Mr. Weasley was seated at the head of the table with Mrs. Weasley standing directly behind him, a hand resting softly on his shoulder. Their children appeared to be seated by age, but Gemini couldn't be sure, as they were all adults for the most part.

"Hello," Gemini said weakly, unsure how she should address them all.

Mrs. Weasley seemed relieved that it was her and not Draco who had made the first appearance. She smiled broadly at Gemini and ushered her further into the room with a wave of her hand.

"Everyone, this is Gemini. She'll be staying with us for the remainder of the summer," Mrs. Weasley introduced.

"And do you have a last name, Gemini?" questioned George suspiciously, breaking his uncharacteristic silence.

Ignoring her son's rude question and tone, Mrs. Weasley asked Gemini, "Where's your brother, dear?"

For a reason unknown to her, Gemini was suddenly struck with the comedy of the situation. She always had possessed a rather dark sense of humor, she thought. Smothering the chuckle which threatened to burst forth at the sight of so many questioning Weasley faces and the thought of the internal agony Draco must be enduring just around the corner, Gemini replied with a small upturn of her lips, "He's hiding, of course."

"That's non-sense, "Mrs. Weasley scoffed and left to go fetch Draco, leaving Gemini alone in the kitchen with the family. She suddenly felt like a sheep in a wolf's den.

"Well, Gemini, while Molly fetches your brother, why don't you take a seat and tell us a bit about yourself," Mr. Weasley suggested, gesturing to one of the open seats.

Gemini nodded and moved to take the place next to Harry. The other open seat was next to a girl Gemini had seen pictured in the Daily Prophet, but whose name she'd not bothered to remember. She definitely wasn't a Weasley, if the stock pile of bushy brown hair she sported was any indication.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," began Gemini. "I'm not quite sure how to begin, what would you all like to know?"

"I don't remember ever seeing you at Hogwarts, why haven't we met you before?" questioned the brown haired girl.

"I attended Beauxbatons," replied Gemini, curtly. "And who are you? You're obviously not a Weasley."

"Hey, you lay off Hermione! She's ten times the witch you'll ever be, Death Eater spawn," spat Ron, misinterpreting Gemini's Weasley comment as a slight towards his friend and family name.

Gemini sniffed and couldn't resist the urge to tilt her nose slightly upward, as though she smelled a foul stench. "I meant no offense," she replied, ignoring his 'Death Eater spawn' comment. "I merely observed the lack of red hair and assumed she wasn't a relation. It's good to meet you, Hermione."

"Likewise," Hermione offered, glaring at Ron for his outburst.

Gemini's questioning was cut short, as it appeared Mrs. Weasley had managed to convince Draco to reveal himself.

"MALFOY?!" Ron exclaimed, shooting up from his chair with such force that the chair toppled backwards and clattered loudly behind him.

At Ron's outburst, Gemini looked up to see Draco standing defiantly beside Mrs. Weasley, appearing for all the world as though he'd rather be anywhere but there.

Draco's lip curled at Ron's exclamation and he replied coolly, "Weasley."

"Mum, you said you were taking in Death Eater spawn, not DEATH EATERS," Ron hissed at his mother, still glaring daggers at Draco and clenching his fists.

"You will not speak to me that way, Ronald," replied Mrs. Weasley. "Your father and I have chosen to look past the desperate wartime acts of children and do the right thing."

"I'm not a child," Draco stated petulantly.

"Oh do shut up, Draco," hissed Gemini, rolling her eyes at his insolence. They were effectively at the mercy of their enemy and he was behaving like he owned the place.

Mr. Weasley, in an effort to avoid the all-out brawl he knew was brewing, addressed the room, "This house belongs to your mother and I and only we may decide who is and is not welcome here. We have decided to welcome Draco and Gemini into our home so any of you who have a problem with that can leave this table at once."

There was a moment of silence as Draco and Ron continued to glare at each other and the family at the table looked questioningly at each other, trying to determine who would be the first to get up.

With a whispered 'Death Eaters' and shake of his head, George stood quietly and left the room.

Ron took George's exit as his cue and marched away from the table, slamming his shoulder roughly against Draco's on his way out.

"I'll go make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," sighed Hermione as she stood and followed in the direction Ron had headed.

"Well," began Ginny as she stood from her chair, "I won't attempt to sway your judgement on who should and shouldn't be allowed in this house, but I agree with Ron and George. I can't sit here and have dinner with the enemy and pretend everything's okay. Have a good evening."

"Likewise," muttered Percy, as he followed his sister.

With just Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Harry, and the Malfoys left in the kitchen, an awkward silence descended upon the room.

"I don't suppose you could have expected that to go any better," supplied Harry, unable to bear the silence any longer. "If it's all the same to you, Mrs. Weasley, I'll go give them my offer of Grimmauld Place now. I'll try to talk them around in time for Sunday dinner."

Mrs. Weasley sighed and nodded, "Of course, Harry. Thank you."

"Looks like it's just us then. Draco, Molly, why don't you sit down and we can tuck in," offered Mr. Weasley, gesturing to the many available seats.

The dinner that ensued was awkward, with just the quiet clattering of silverware to fill the silence. Both eager for a quick retreat back upstairs, Gemini and Draco rushed through the generous helpings of beef stew Mrs. Weasley had prepared for them and asked to politely to be excused.

Laying her head down on her pillow that night, Gemini thought to herself that perhaps Azkaban was preferable to her current situation. At least in Azkaban no one had questioned whether she belonged there.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 **A/N:** Finally another chapter to post! I've really enjoyed writing this story, but real life has been highly demanding of my time lately. I promise I'll be progressing the narrative on to Hogwarts very soon – I don't have the time or patience to write about the entire month spent at the Weasley home, but I do feel that, at least for this chapter and maybe the next, some scenes at The Burrow help set the stage and introduce key character interactions. I'm eager for Gemini to get to Hogwarts though, so I'll try to pick up the pace soon. As always, please read and review!

 _ **Le Recommençant**_

 **Chapter 9**

 **July 27, 1998 – The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole**

Just as Gemini had predicted the night before, the first rays of morning sunlight streamed brightly through the large window in her room and woke her up early. She lay in bed for a while, loathe to go downstairs and face a day of awkward tip toeing around the Weasley family, but was ultimately driven out of bed by the rumbling of her stomach and a pressing need for the loo. After washing up a bit and donning another of the absurdly cheerful outfits Mrs. Weasley had laid out (a pastel pink sundress and cardigan this time), Gemini headed downstairs to greet the day.

As it was still just barely six o'clock, Gemini wasn't expecting to see anyone downstairs. She was surprised, therefore, when she walked into the kitchen and found Mr. Weasley, dressed in his Ministry robes, rummaging around in the refrigerator.

"Good morning, Mr. Weasley," Gemini greeted, stopping just short of actually entering the room, choosing to hover near the entranceway instead.

"Ah, good morning, Gemini," replied Mr. Weasley, popping his head up from behind the refrigerator door. "You're up early."

"My room gets quite a bit of morning sunlight," Gemini offered by way of explanation.

Mr. Weasley nodded in understanding as he closed the refrigerator door, having pulled out a brown paper sack.

"My lunch," Mr. Weasley explained. Looking wearily at Gemini, he rubbed the back of his neck and continued, "I must be off to work, but feel free to rummage for some breakfast. A quick incendio will light the stove, if you'd like a cup of tea. If you can wait for Molly to be up, she can cook you up a proper breakfast. Have a good day, Gemini."

Not bothering to remind Mr. Weasley that she didn't have a wand, Gemini simply nodded and bid Mr. Weasley farewell. Once she was alone in the kitchen, Gemini began to 'rummage', as Mr. Weasley had suggested. Though she was actually quite skilled with wandless magic, certainly enough to light a stove, she was also reluctant to share her skills with the Weasleys. Strictly speaking, she wasn't allowed to do magic while she was on probation, which is why the Ministry had taken her wand. They hadn't anticipated the grueling hours she had spent under the tutelage of her Aunt Bellatrix though, so they were unaware Gemini could windlessly perform almost any spell up to a fourth year level. 'Best keep that to myself' thought Gemini. Opting to wait for the 'proper breakfast' Mr. Weasley had promised, Gemini made herself a glass of water and headed outside to get her bearings.

Having arrived at night and via floo, Gemini hadn't seen the outside of her summer prison. Stepping out the front door, Gemini observed a wide veranda style wrap around porch with a bench swing and a few comfortable looking chairs. Beyond the porch, the yard was quite large before blending into rolling hills which led, she presumed to the town of Ottery St. Catchpole, but she couldn't be sure. Stepping off the porch, Gemini followed a gravel path around the house and observed the building the Weasley family called 'The Burrow'.

Seen from the outside, The Burrow's odd interior layout began to make a bit more sense. The footprint of the entire home appeared to be no larger than her bedroom at the Manor. It looked as though the family had added to the home several times over the years, each level having its own distinct design and adding to home's topsy turvy look. 'It's not much, but it's home,' Gemini recalled Mrs. Weasley saying the night before. Seeing the house now, Gemini had to agree with that statement. Though the house itself was unimpressive and she knew Narcissa Malfoy would be appalled to see her children living in such a place, Gemini could tell that every inch of the home and grounds were well loved and lived in. It was a stark contrast to the cold, sterile Manor she and Draco called home.

Rounding the corner of the gravel path, Gemini was surprised to see that the Weasley children had set up a makeshift Quidditch pitch with one goal on either end of an open field. The field itself was about half the size of a standard pitch, but overall it looked like a good set up for scrimmage matches. With seven children, Gemini imagined the Weasleys could almost have their own quidditch team.

In the far corner of the pitch, stood a rickety looking shed, which Gemini hoped housed brooms as she made her way purposefully towards the shed. The inside of the shed was much larger than the outside led her to believe, no doubt magically enhanced, much like the rest of the home. The shed appeared to be a sort of workshop, as there were two rows of tables in the middle which held all sorts of gadgets and machines Gemini had never seen. 'This must be where Mr. Weasley keeps his muggle fascinations,' thought Gemini, remembering what Draco had told her previously about Mr. Weasley's obsession with muggle tools and appliances.

On the far side of the shed, Gemini spotted what appeared to be a few worn out brooms. 'Not glamorous, but then again nothing about this summer has been,' thought Gemini as she made her way over to assess her flight options. There were only three brooms in the shed, which led Gemini to believe that the Weasley children kept their personal brooms in a more secure, maintained location and that these were the cast offs of time or, potentially, malady. 'Hopefully these aren't completely dysfunctional. Then again, I suppose falling to my death on a Cleansweep would be good recompense for my war crimes and also help me avoid attending Hogwarts,' Gemini mused bitterly.

Grabbing the Cleansweep Four which appeared to be the most stable, Gemini headed back out to the pitch, eager to feel the freedom of flight after months of captivity and years of repression. Stepping onto the dewy grass of the morning-lit pitch, Gemini mounted the Cleansweep and pushed off firmly.

 **June 5, 1987 – Malfoy Manor**

"Papa, please can we open our presents now? Please?" begged Gemini, her long blonde curls framing her face angelically as she tugged on the sleeve of her father's robes.

"Gemini, what have I told you about calling me Papa? You are seven years old now. You shall address me properly," Lucius scolded gently, as he picked up his daughter and placed her in his lap at the breakfast table.

"Yes, Father," replied Gemini sweetly. "May we please open our birthday presents now?"

Lucius sent a questioning look across the table to his wife who inclined her head slightly and smiled into her tea at the sight Lucius and Gemini made. 'I love my family,' thought Narcissa as she soaked in the moment.

"You may each open one present now. The rest will have to wait until this afternoon when Grandfather Abraxas arrives. He will be most displeased if he misses all the festivities," allowed Narcissa, as she set down her tea.

"Woohoo!" let out an excited Draco. "I know which ones we should open first Gemi!"

Draco raced from the dining room and was back in under a minute, dragging with him two long, identically wrapped boxes.

"Lucius, you didn't!" exclaimed Narcissa, shooting her husband a warning glare.

"Oh come now, Cissa," replied Lucius, "They're plenty old enough for these."

Narcissa let out a frustrated huff, but turned back to her children who were eagerly awaiting their parents' permission to open the large gifts.

"Go ahead," prompted Narcissa a bit grudgingly.

Tearing into the paper, Draco and Gemini let out matching squeals of excitement as they laid their eyes on their gifts.

"A Cleansweep Four!" exclaimed Draco, running his hands reverently over the polished handle and firm bristles. "But I thought you said we couldn't learn to fly until we were ten?"

"And allow you only a year to train for the Slytherin house team? I think not. Four years of flying experience will put you well ahead of the other children," explained Lucius, his eyes shining with pride as he imagined his children making their house team as first years.

"Will you teach us to ride now, Father?" Gemini asked hopefully.

Lucius thought on this for a moment. He had intended to hire a quidditch professional to instruct the children, but he supposed their first lesson could come from him. He was a very competent flier, after all.

"I think we have time for a short lesson before your grandfather arrives. What do you think, Cissa?" asked Lucius, not wanting to upset his wife by potentially getting the children dirty before they had guests.

"I think that's a splendid idea, so long as you all change clothes first. We'll need to get Draco and Gemini some proper flying robes, but for now I think they can wear their riding outfits," offered Narcissa.

"Thank you, Mummy!" exclaimed Gemini, throwing her arms around Narcissa's neck and placing a trail of kisses along her cheek. Narcissa, unlike Lucius, was not quite ready to part with her informal title of 'Mummy,' and so made no action to correct Gemini.

Out on the Malfoy grounds, Lucius instructed his children on the basic care and handling of a broom, cautioning Draco and Gemini to respect their brooms as the powerful magical instruments they were, rather than treating them like a common toy.

"You'll find that brooms are almost sentient in nature," began Lucius. "A well-cared for broom will respond to you more readily and precisely, just as a well-cared for owl will deliver your post quicker and without biting recipients."

"To call your broom, you should hold your hand above it and firmly command it into your hand by saying 'Up'," Lucius continued, his broom obediently flying into his palm as soon as he gave the command. "Now you try."

Gemini and Draco each held their hand over their brooms and took turns calling their brooms.

"UP!" screamed Draco, holding his hand tensely over the broom and glaring at it as it rolled over, but remained firmly on the ground.

Seeing her brother's lack of success with his shouting approach, Gemini took a deep breath and decided to run with her father's owl analogy, addressing the broom as she would address her owl, Circe.

"Up!" commanded Gemini, with a firmness to her voice, but trying to infuse an underlying warmth to her tone. Gemini's softer approach seemed to appeal to her broom, as it shot into her hand immediately, much to Draco's chagrin.

"Good job, Gemini," Lucius praised. He offered Draco additional instruction and on his third attempt, Draco was able to coax his broom off the ground.

The trio spent the remainder of the hour reviewing proper broom mounting form and grips before Lucius allowed them to gently kick off the ground and fly around the grounds, warning them to go no higher than six feet as they got their bearings.

Even at such a low height, Gemini could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins and relished the summer breeze on her face. It was not often that she and Draco got to be so carefree and she was delighted to now have a means to let loose more often.

"Draco," Gemini called to her brother from across the field, "First one to the Manor is a rotten muggle!"

Not allowing her brother time to process the challenge, Gemini leaned forward and propelled her broom faster and faster towards the Manor.

"No, Gemini!" exclaimed Lucius, setting out after his wayward daughter who appeared to be on a collision course with the stately Manor.

 **July 27, 1998 – The Burrow**

Gemini was torn from her memory by the sound of someone calling her name from below. She was so caught up in her recollection of her first flying lesson, that she hadn't noticed how high she'd risen above the Weasley property. Looking down now, the Burrow looked quite small, but Gemini had an incredible view of the grounds and could just make out the edge of the village in the distance. Drawing her attention back to the house, she could see the waving form of Mrs. Weasley calling her down. With a sigh, Gemini began to descend back toward the earth.

Gemini's memories of carefree moments with her parents, her father in particular, were few and far between. Those had been better times, she thought, before the return of the Dark Lord, back when all her parents had to worry about was raising proper pureblood children and ensuring their happiness. Though she had crashed through the window of the Manor library and spent the remainder of her birthday in bed being healed by house elves and admonished by her parents for her recklessness, Gemini still looked back on that day as one of the happiest of her short life.

As soon as Gemini's feet touched the ground, Mrs. Weasley rushed towards her.

"Dear, you gave me an absolute fright – I couldn't find you anywhere and then I look outside to see you on one of those old death trap brooms! You really shouldn't ride any of those. I know at least one of them was jinxed by the twins a few years ago and the others are all quite old. I'm unsure how stable they are," fretted Mrs. Weasley.

"This one flew fine," Gemini assured Mrs. Weasley. "I do apologize for not asking your permission to fly though. That was rude of me."

"Not to worry, dear. I'm just glad you weren't injured. Come along inside now. I've got breakfast on the stove and could use some help setting the table," urged Mrs. Weasley.

Gemini quirked an eyebrow at Mrs. Weasley's suggestion that she help set the table for breakfast. Never in her life had Gemini done a chore, much less one as mundane as setting a table. That's what house elves were for. The closest thing to a chore that Gemini had done was to regularly polish and maintain her broom, as she didn't trust the house elves with it and rather enjoyed overseeing the upkeep herself.

Inside the kitchen, Gemini was surprised to find Draco standing over a rubbish bin, peeling potatoes with a small knife. 'At least I'm not being made to do any actual cooking,' thought Gemini as she approached the stack of dishes and silverware which Mrs. Weasley had laid out on the kitchen island.

"I didn't know you knew how to peel potatoes, Draco," Gemini teased.

"He didn't until ten minutes ago," laughed Mrs. Weasley while Draco glowered at Gemini over her shoulder.

"How many will there be for breakfast?" questioned Gemini as she picked up the stack of dishes.

"The three of us, plus Harry, Ginny, and Hermione, I believe," replied Mrs. Weasley as she oversaw the bacon crackling on the stove top. Gemini nodded and began to set out the dishes as she had seen the house elves do in the past. She supposed it was too much to ask that it be just the three of them this morning.

Mrs. Weasley was just placing the food on the table when the sound of the floo opening in the next room signaled the arrival of their breakfast companions. Gemini and Draco both stiffened at the sound and Gemini crossed the room to take a seat next to Draco in order to avoid sitting next to any of the Weasley clan.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley," called Harry as he entered the kitchen, followed closely by Ginny and then Hermione.

"Good morning, Harry," replied Mrs. Weasley. "Food's all done so please take a seat and we can tuck in."

Harry took a seat at the head of the table, adjacent to Gemini, while Ginny filled in next to him and across from Gemini, Hermione sat next to Ginny and across from Draco, while Mrs. Weasley seated herself at the end of the table opposite Harry. Breakfast started as a rather stilted affair with strained conversation between Mrs. Weasley and the others while Draco and Gemini ate in silence.

Gemini was startled out of her silence when she heard Mrs. Weasley mention her name.

"Gemini here managed to find those old Cleansweeps in the shed this morning. Gave me a good fright when I saw her 300 feet up on one of them," explained Mrs. Weasley in a blatant attempt to draw the Malfoys into conversation.

"Pity you didn't manage to select the jinxed broom," quipped Ginny snidely. "Would have made for an altogether more pleasant summer, that's for sure."

"Ginny!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, appalled that her daughter would say such a thing.

"What? It's true. I'm here because I won't let the Malfoys keep me from visiting my own home, but that doesn't mean I'm happy to be around them. I may not have known Gemini Malfoy before last night, but I got to read all about her in The Daily Prophet this morning. Nasty little thing, aren't you?" Ginny goaded, sneering at Gemini as she continued to eat her breakfast.

Gemini's fork froze halfway to her mouth at the mention of The Prophet. She'd nearly forgotten that her trial would be headline news today. A cold feeling settled in her stomach and she suddenly found that her appetite had disappeared.

"Oh, Mum hasn't shared the paper with you yet?" sneered Ginny, taking great pleasure in the even more pallid complexions of the Malfoy twins. "There's a large front page spread all about you and your brother. I knew your brother was vile, but it was unfortunate to read that the Malfoy evil is, in fact, twofold. Fourfold really, if you count those awful parents of yours."

"Stop it, Ginny," warned Harry, knowing that Ginny had crossed a line when she spoke ill of the Malfoy's parents.

"Please, let's just eat in peace," Hermione added, casting an apologetic look towards both Gemini and Draco.

"Oh hush, Hermione," spat Ginny, rolling her eyes. "You haven't even read the article yet so you've no idea what you're talking about." Gemini had thought to let Ginny's outburst go, but she couldn't help herself once she saw that the Weasley girl would insult even her friends over whatever The Prophet had written.

Putting her fork down quietly and affecting her most aloof Malfoy expression, Gemini looked hard at Ginny as she addressed her, "Ah yes, The Daily Prophet. A real paragon of truth, that publication. I'm sure the image they painted of me is an entirely accurate and fair portrayal so I thank you for taking the time to get to know me through that rag. This certainly saves me a good bit of time trying to explain myself to your holiness. I do believe we all owe a great deal to the truthfulness of The Prophet over the years. Without their impeccable journalism, how would I have known what an awful mad man Sirius Black was? I certainly never would have known about the torrid affair between Potter and Granger during the Triwizard Tournament. How would I have known what a deranged lunatic Albus Dumbledore was or what a freak Potter was for claiming the Dark Lord was back? Thank Merlin we have The Prophet to set the story straight this time too. We wouldn't want anyone to be mistaken about what a 'nasty little thing' I am."

Turning to Mrs. Weasley, Gemini continued, "I'm no longer hungry. May I be excused?"

Ginny's face had gone from red to almost purple during Gemini's dressing down. As she reached for her wand, Harry grabbed her wrist. "Calm down, Ginny. You can't attack her – she doesn't even have a wand to defend herself!" he exclaimed.

Gemini ignored their interaction and didn't wait for permission from Mrs. Weasley before storming up the stairs to her room. She'd come down later to find a copy of The Daily Prophet, but just then she needed to be away from the immature red head. Draco followed closely behind his sister, glaring at the Weasley girl as he strode past.

The sounds of muffled arguing could be heard even from the fifth floor, where Gemini lay on her bed, counting the thin wood boards of the ceiling above her. Counting had been a sort of escape for her while in Azkaban and it seemed the habit had stuck even after her release. She was on board 112 when she heard a soft knock at her door.

"Gemini, can I come in?" Draco called from the hall. With a flick of her wrist, Gemini unlocked the door, but continued counting.

Stepping into the room Draco took a moment to observe his sister. He knew she had used counting as a coping mechanism in Azkaban, so it was not a good sign that she had resorted to it now.

"Stop counting and look at me, Gemi," commanded Draco in a firm, but gentle tone as he sat down on the edge of her bed. He saw her lips stop moving, but her eyes remained fixed on the ceiling.

"Don't let the She Weasel get to you. She's not worth it," implored Draco, reaching out and grasping one of Gemini's hands in his, beginning to rub small circles on the inside of her wrist.

The feel of Draco's hand in hers seemed to ground Gemini and her gaze shifted from the ceiling to his face. 'It wasn't long ago that I thought I may never see this face again,' thought Gemini. Gone was the boyhood rounding to his face, replaced now with the sharper, angular features of a man. The worry lines between Draco's eyes indicated his concern for her and she wondered quietly if those lines were a permanent mar on his eighteen year old face, or if it was just an expression, reserved for moments of concern such as this.

"I thought today about our first flying lesson," said Gemini suddenly, breaking the silence which had settled upon them like a blanket.

Jarred from his own thoughts, Draco's face morphed yet again into an expression of confusion. "That feels like a lifetime ago," sighed Draco.

"It was," agreed Gemini. "We were so happy."

"Really?" teased Draco, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. "You were so happy to go plowing through the library window?"

"Before that, you dolt," exclaimed Gemini, sitting up in bed and giving Draco her attention more fully. "It was the Cleansweeps in the shed that reminded me of it. I'm a little ashamed to say that I think I had forgotten the memory until just then."

Draco nodded, understanding his sister's nostalgia. "It was a long time ago. Everything has changed since then," offered Draco.

"Do you suppose it's possible for people like Ginny Weasley to forgive us for this?" asked Gemini, gesturing to her covered Dark Mark.

"I suppose anything is possible," pondered Draco. Looking into her eyes, he continued, "We won't wait around for their forgiveness though. We never needed them before and we don't need them now. We have each other and that's enough. I'm not going anywhere, Gemini. You're not alone."

"You're not alone," repeated Gemini, grasping Draco's hand more firmly.

 _ **The Twins Malfoy: Malfoy Teens' War Crimes Go Unpunished**_

 _ **By Rita Skeeter**_

 _Following the criminal trials of Draco Arcturus Malfoy, 18, and his twin sister, Gemini Aurora Malfoy, 18, on the 25_ _th_ _and 26_ _th_ _of July, the wizarding world stands in shock that neither Malfoy has received the Azkaban sentence they well deserved. After hours of interrogation and deliberation at each trial, the Malfoy twins were handed identical sentences which appear to be a mere slap on the wrist. As a valued member of the press, I was in attendance at both Malfoy trials and was personally astounded by the aptitude with which both teens spun their tales of woe and played on the heartstrings of the Wizengamot. It seems the Slytherin cunning of the Malfoys was on full display throughout the trials. As a reminder, readers, below is a list of crimes of which the Malfoy twin were accused._

 _Draco Arcturus Malfoy:_ _Willful allegiance to the Deatheater organization and service to Lord Voldemort, innumerable uses of both the Imperius and Cruciatus curses, and accessory to the murder of Albus Dumbledore_

 _Gemini Aurora Malfoy:_ _Willful allegiance to the Deatheater organization and service to Lord Voldemort, murder in the first degree of an unarmed muggle, innumerable uses of both the Imperius and Cruciatus curses, and accessory to the murder of Albus Dumbledore_

 _For young Mr. Malfoy's part, it was apparent that interim Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, was sympathetic to his plight. Shacklebolt, a member of the original Order of the Phoenix, claimed that the late Albus Dumbledore had passed on memories to the Order, in which he condoned Mr. Malfoy's plight to murder him, but made Severus Snape swear an oath that he would do the actual killing, when the time came. According to Shacklebolt, Dumbledore was already dying at the time of Mr. Malfoy's plot and did not wish any harm to come to the boy, should he fail in the task set forth for him by He Who Must Not be Named._

 _As has already been revealed in my book, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, which is available now at Flourish and Blotts, in life, Albus Dumbledore was largely self-serving and highly manipulative. It would appear that, even in death, Dumbledore's manipulations have the power to help those he deemed worthy to evade justice. It is this reporter's opinion that the memories of a dead person, especially one who has been proven to be a manipulative puppet master to the Ministry, should not be counted as permissible evidence. That is exactly what occurred in the case of Mr. Malfoy though. Shacklebolt leaned heavily on the opinion of Dumbledore that Draco Malfoy was an innocent and therefore pushed the Wizengamot to offer the boy a more favorable sentencing. After willingly taking the Dark Mark, allowing Death Eaters into Hogwarts School, assisting in the murder of Albus Dumbledore, and torturing muggles and wizards alike with innumerable uses of unforgivable curses, the Wizengamot has seen fit to release Draco Malfoy back into society with just one year of magical probation and a mandate to attend the voluntary eighth year being offered at Hogwarts School. That's right, readers, the Ministry has seen fit to not only allow, but to mandate, that the boy who opened Hogwarts to Death Eaters be once again welcomed in those hallowed halls to study alongside your innocent children._

 _As though unleashing one Malfoy onto Hogwarts School was not bad enough, the Ministry then saw fit to dole out the same punishment to Gemini Malfoy, whom freely and without remorse admitted to the murder of an unarmed muggle. Said muggle, one Addison Meadows, was a wife and mother and begged Ms. Malfoy for her life. According to the girl's own retelling, she was not swayed by the woman's tearful plea and cut off her begging with a swift Avada. Shacklebolt relied primarily on the girl's underage status at the time of the accused crimes to sway the Wizengamot into leniency. Both Malfoys have since been handed over to the care of the Weasley family, prominent members of the Order of the Phoenix and known adversaries of the Malfoy family, for the remainder of the summer. We can only hope that the Weasleys are able to dole out a bit of the justice which the Wizengamot neglected to provide._

 _Looking beyond the outrageous outcomes of these initial Death Eater trials, this reporter wishes to learn more about the secretive Malfoy family. Until these trials, the wizarding world was under the impression that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had only one child and were completely unaware of the existence of the female heir. Why did the Malfoy family feel the need to hide the existence of Gemini Malfoy? Why did Gemini not attend Hogwarts with her brother? What evil lurks inside the mysterious Malfoy and what exactly were the Malfoy parents trying to hide? Are Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy her real parents? Look for the answers to these questions and more in my upcoming exposé article series, "The Unknown Malfoy: A Life in the Shadows, Illuminated", part one coming soon._


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 **A/N:** It feels so good to post another chapter! I've finally finished my GMAT so, before I become consumed with business school applications, I wanted to be sure to post again for you all. To those of you who have reviewed this fic – THANK YOU! I've been so encouraged by your words and always feel a little burst of happiness when I get a new review. I'm beginning to have a more solid feel for where this fic is going and promise that we'll be moving along to Hogwarts in the next chapter. Feel free to PM me to let me know if you have any strong feelings about which house Gemini belongs in – I'm still open to persuasion at this point. As always, read, review, and enjoy!

 _ **Le Recommençant**_

 **Chapter 10**

 **December 31, 1996 – Malfoy Manor**

The wind cutting through the open window of the tallest tower of the Manor was harsh, denoting the cold English winter outside. Disillusioning himself, Draco stepped closer to the window and peered down at the party going on below. Six stories above them, he listened to the sweet notes of the violin from the orchestra and watched waiters circulate the heated patio area, bringing guests glasses of champagne as they waited to count down the New Year. The only indication that the scene was anything but a completely normal New Year celebration was the fountain at the center of the festivities. The large circular fountain was three tiered and crafted from a solid piece of black, glasslike onyx. Pouring out of the top tier of the ornate fountain was a thick, healthy current of scarlet red blood, falling like water down each tier and into the reservoir base. If the image of a bloody fountain wasn't macabre enough, the scene was set by the floating corpse of his Muggle Studies professor, Charity Burbage, just above. Her broken body spun slowly in a circle above the fountain, standing as a symbol of what the Dark Lord planned to accomplish in the New Year.

'How did this become my life?' grimaced Draco. One year ago to the day, he had been a carefree fifteen year old, only worried about besting Potter and chasing girls. The Dark Lord was at the periphery of his life, his father having taken up with him again, but Draco, at that point, hadn't felt any impacts of his return. 'What a difference a year can make,' Draco lamented, shaking his head slightly in disbelief.

The sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs behind him startled Draco out of his reverie. Turning to greet his guest, Draco swallowed the lump that appeared in his throat at the sight of his insane Aunt Bella in the doorway.

"Hello, dear nephew," spat Bella, as she sauntered up to him, sparing a short look at the party scene below. "Enjoying the view?"

Draco took a generous step away from his aunt, but she followed, stopping just short of standing on his toes.

"Just taking a moment to myself, Auntie," explained Draco, suppressing a grimace at his aunt's putrid breath and close proximity.

"Hmm," offered Bellatrix, returning her gaze to the party. "Your sister has caught the Dark Lord's eye."

Draco stiffened and honed his gaze on Gemini, twirling happily in the arms of their father as the string quartet played a jaunty waltz. In her form-fitting, black lace ball gown with her wild blonde hair tamed into a braided chignon at the nape of her neck, she looked positively radiant. As their father passed her to her next waltz partner, Theodore Nott, her smile seemed to harden, but she remained just as graceful and radiant, appearing for all the world as though she was right where she wanted to be.

"And what interest does our Lord have in Gemini?" Draco questioned, trying his best to keep his tone neutral and not betray the panic which was budding inside his chest.

Tearing her gaze away from Gemini's dancing figure, Bellatrix looked up at Draco, a good five inches taller than her, and explained, "Well, she's perfectly useless at that school of hers, isn't she? And Magical Britain seems to have forgotten she exists, what with her not attending Hogwarts or needing to frequent Diagon Alley much. It's likely no one would notice if she simply didn't return to school next term."

"I am trying my best!" Draco exclaimed, incensed by the perceived threat to his sister's life that his aunt had just laid out. "I made a break through with my task just before term ended and am well positioned to make great progress once I return to Hogwarts. Leave Gemini out of this."

"And what break through might that be, nephew? Found another cursed bit of jewelry to offer the Headmaster?" goaded Bellatrix.

"I believe I've discovered a way into the castle for the Death Eaters," explained Draco, before he could stop to think whether divulging his plans to his crazy aunt was actually a good idea.

Bellatrix brightened at this revelation and granted him a reprieve from her proximity, backing away a bit as she bounced on her heels, seemingly giddy at the thought of a Hogwarts break-in.

"Oh that is splendid news, Draco! I can't wait to get into that ridiculous school and show our good Headmaster how mudbloods should be treated," gloated Bellatrix, a crazed gleam appearing in her eyes.

"As you seem to be in touch so much, perhaps you could report the news of my discovery back to the Dark Lord. Let him know there is no need to threaten my sister, as I have my task well in hand," demanded Draco.

"Oh, Draco. I'm sure our Lord will be quite pleased with your progress, but that's got nothing to do with your sister," explained Bellatrix, delighting in Draco's confusion. "It's been decided that your sister has gained all she can from that pretentious French school. She will remain at the manor for the duration of the year and begin her Dark Arts training in earnest. She'll be training with me personally, so you needn't worry about the quality of her education. Only the best for a Black."

Draco was stunned into silence at this revelation. Training with Aunt Bella basically meant repeated torture until you either developed an immunity to her curses, died from them, or bested her, and Bellatrix was rarely bested. Gemini's festive attitude below seemed to indicate that she had not yet been informed of this plan.

"When will she be told?" asked Draco, his voice dropping to just above a whisper as though he'd had the wind knocked out of him.

"I imagine your mother will leave it to the last minute," ventured Bellatrix. "Narcissa always has disliked conflict. She'll try to keep the appearance of a cheery holiday season alive for as long as possible before telling her daughter that she won't be returning to her school friends."

"Then why have you told me?" questioned Draco, knowing that the first thing he would do when he got Gemini alone would be to tell her of her new fate.

Bellatrix smirked and replied, "I do not share my sister's distaste for conflict."

With only that as explanation, Bellatrix flounced out of her tower, humming what sounded like a butchered version of Auld Lang Syne as she left. Draco took a moment to collect himself before following his aunt out of the tower. He'd leave the news until the morning, he decided. He wanted one last night of peace with his sister before all hell broke loose.

 **August 15, 1998 – The Burrow**

Gemini and Draco had settled into a routine fairly quickly. With the Weasley children out of the house, they found that the Burrow was actually rather peaceful. Gemini awoke first, sometimes in time to see Mr. Weasley off to work, sometimes just missing him. She'd discovered in her first week at her new home that the sagging bookshelf in the living room contained a wide variety of literature, from school texts to trashy romance novels, an apparent favorite of Mrs. Weasley. Steering clear of those, Gemini had selected a couple wizarding novels from the shelf, as well as a muggle history book, and taken to reading quietly for an hour or so on the front porch while she waited for Mrs. Weasley and Draco to rise. Once Mrs. Weasley came downstairs, Draco was typically close behind, lured out of his bed by the smell of cooking bacon and fresh coffee.

Mrs. Weasley had not been shy about putting Draco and Gemini to work. Without her usual hoard of children about, there were more chores to do per person, so Gemini and Draco could expect to be tied up with housework until the early afternoon most days. Though neither she nor Draco had balked the first time they'd been handed a list of chores, they both stared at the list dumbly for a bit, not knowing where to begin in telling Mrs. Weasley that they didn't know how to do any of the items on the list.

"You don't know how to dust?" questioned Mrs. Weasley skeptically. At Draco and Gemini's blank looks, she continued, "Pull weeds? Degnome? Polish tables?"

"We can probably manage the polishing," offered Gemini. "Draco and I both polish our own brooms. I imagine the actions are similar."

Mrs. Weasley shook her head at the twin's apparent privilege, but set about showing them how to do each task.

"It'll take a bit longer without magic, but that shouldn't be a problem. These are the same sort of chores I assigned the children when they were underage, so you should manage just fine the muggle way," explained Mrs. Weasley.

Though they hadn't savored the idea of being put to work, they were still very much indebted to Mrs. Weasley's goodwill so they kept their complaints to themselves. After chores, Gemini and Draco spent a couple hours flying about the makeshift pitch, taking turns playing keeper and trying to score on each other. It got a bit dull with just two people, but they made do with what they had. By that time, Mr. Weasley was typically back from the Ministry and Draco had taken to spending time before dinner working in the shed with him, tinkering with the muggle machines. Gemini took that as her cue to retreat to her bedroom to either read more or take a nap before being called to supper.

On this particular day, Gemini was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee when Mrs. Weasley appeared downstairs.

"Ah, I see your school lists have arrived," observed Mrs. Weasley. "Just in time, too. I told everyone to get here by nine so we could set out for the Alley and was a bit worried Minerva had been mistaken about when the post would arrive."

Based on the signature at the bottom of her letter, Gemini presumed Mrs. Weasley was referring to the new Hogwarts Head Mistress, Minerva McGonagall. The book list appeared fairly standard, not much different from her usual Beauxbaton's list, but for the fact that the books were all in English and authored by English speakers.

"Mrs. Weasley?" asked Gemini uncertainly.

"Yes, dear?" called Mrs. Weasley, her head inside the refrigerator pulling out breakfast supplies.

"Well, I was wondering… How are Draco and I going to get the items on this list? We're not able to leave your property and we don't have access to our wands so we're not able to get into our Gringott's vaults," Gemini questioned, feeling her face begin to warm in embarrassment.

"Don't you worry, dear. I'll be heading to the Alley with the others today and I'll be sure to pick up what you and Draco need. If you need anything outside of what's on the list, just let me know and I'll get it for you. The ministry has allowed me temporary access to your vaults so I'm able to provide for you," explained Mrs. Weasley. After a moments pause, she continued, "Though I suppose robes for your first year at Hogwarts are going to be a bit of a challenge without you present for a fitting. I'll just have to take your measurements myself before I leave. Don't want you in ill-fitting robes on your first day!"

Gemini groaned inwardly at the loss of control of yet another aspect of her life, but nodded in understanding anyway. Her mother had been able to send some clothes to her via owl post, but there was a limit to what an owl could carry and, since her mother was also wandless, feather-light charms weren't an option. Likewise, the Manor floo system had been cut off as part of Narcissa's house arrest. She'd have to ask Mrs. Weasley to pick up additional clothing for her. Shuddering at the thought of all the pastels Mrs. Weasley was likely to choose, Gemini set about creating a very detailed list of exactly what she needed from the shops, leaving as little to the imagination as possible.

By the time Draco appeared downstairs, Gemini had completed her shopping list and was tucking into the full English Mrs. Weasley had prepared. Taking in her brother's appearance, Gemini chuckled, "Forget we're having visitors this morning, brother?"

Draco's usually perfect hair was sticking up in all directions and he was still wearing his Tutshill Tornados jersey, black pajama pants, and bare feet. Glaring at his sister, Draco poured himself a cup of coffee and settled in next to her at the table.

"I'm sure I've got time to eat and read through my letter before they arrive, Gem," said Draco, fobbing off his sister's warning and perusing his letter contents instead.

"If you say so," smirked Gemini, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was already five past nine, which meant the Weasley children were due any minute. As if on cue, a series of pop's sounded from the garden and the back door opened, revealing Harry Potter, followed closely by Hermione Granger and Ron and Ginny Weasley. The quartet stopped halfway into the room and gawked at the sight of the Malfoy twins, seemingly at ease at the Weasley kitchen table.

"I guess this answers one question," remarked Ron, laughing to himself as he glared at the twins. "It would appear the ferret's hair is not permanently glued to his scalp."

Draco gripped his coffee tighter, but resisted the urge to run his hands through his hair to tidy the mess. He would not let the weasel think he was bothered by his jab.

Appearing as casual as possible, Draco took a sip of his coffee before replying, "I stopped gluing my hair down in fourth year, Weasel. Do keep up."

Next to Ron, Hermione smothered a laugh and Harry cracked a smirk at Draco's banter. Meanwhile, both Weasley siblings did not find the comment funny at all and their faces turned an ugly shade of red, clashing badly with their orange hair.

"Where is our Mum?" demanded Ginny.

"She went upstairs to change," explained Gemini, cutting off a snide retort from Draco. "She got bacon grease on her blouse so she's freshening up."

Ginny nodded, but looked a bit dissatisfied that she hadn't been able to pick a fight.

"Why don't we eat?" suggested Harry. "Looks like your mum prepared a feast and I'm sick of the Weetabix at Grimmauld."

"We were just finishing anyway," Draco offered, giving Gemini a look and nodding towards the stairs.

Looking between her not even half done breakfast and the stairs, Gemini replied, "You go ahead, Draco. I'm not quite finished and I need to explain a couple items on my list to Mrs. Weasley."

The look Draco sent her way plainly showed how mental he thought she was for deigning to spend any amount of time with them, but he trudged upstairs alone anyway.

"Of course he's a bloody Tornados fan," Ron muttered once Draco was out of sight. "Desecrating this house with Tornados gear just to spite me."

"Oh shut it, Ronald," exclaimed Hermione. "Malfoy did not choose his professional quidditch fandom based on which team you'd dislike most."

Gemini smirked into her coffee at that. Draco had, in fact, chosen his quidditch team, at least in part, based on what would piss Weasley off most. He had been a dual supporter of the Holyhead Harpies and the Tornados until his second year. As soon as he learned that Ron Weasley was a huge Chudley Cannons fan, Draco had poured himself into supporting the Tornados, the Cannon's biggest rival. She chose to keep that bit of trivia to herself.

Mrs. Weasley chose that moment to reappear, donned in a fresh, bacon free blouse.

"It's about time!" she fussed. "Sit down and grab some breakfast and then it's off to the Alley. I'd like to get there before the crowds get too thick."

As the quartet was seated, Gemini decided that was her opportunity. "Mrs. Weasley," interjected Gemini. "I was wondering if I might speak with you alone for a moment."

"Oh yes, of course," Mrs. Weasley agreed, directing Gemini to step around the corner into the living room. Turning to the others, she snapped, "Now you four better be well on your way to done when I get back."

In the living room, Gemini stood fidgeting slightly, holding her shopping list and repeatedly folding and unfolding the parchment.

"Now, what was it you wanted to speak with me about, dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley. Gemini took a deep breath and decided that she'd better just get it over with, otherwise she wouldn't get what she needed from the Alley.

"It's my shopping list," Gemini began. "You said I could request items not on the school list, so I've written down what I'll be needing. A good bit of it is clothes, as my mother wasn't able to send much in the post."

"Yes, that makes sense. I'm sure between me, Ginny, and Hermione we can find you suitable clothes. Was that what you wanted to speak with me about?" asked Mrs. Weasley, unsure why Gemini was so anxious about asking about clothing.

"It's not just that… There are a couple items which I think you'll find odd and I'd like to explain so that you don't neglect to purchase them," Gemini explained.

"I see," Mrs. Weasley replied. "And what might those items be?"

"Well, I'd like you to pick up a six month supply of pain potions. My monthly dose is wearing off and I'm due for another soon. The last I had was just before trial," Gemini offered.

"A six month supply of pain potions?" questioned Mrs. Weasley. "Pain potions are highly addictive, dear! Why would anyone need a six month supply?"

"It's a low dose, extended release potion, Mrs. Weasley," explained Gemini meekly. "It helps with the after effects of extended exposure to dark magic."

Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened and Gemini could see the dreaded look of pity begin to fill her face.

"It's really not a big deal," explained Gemini, trying to assuage some of Mrs. Weasley's worry. "The healer said I can safely take the low dose potion for up to year. After that, I'll be done with school and, if my symptoms haven't improved, I can submit to more rigorous treatment and research at St. Mungo's. This is just a temporary solution."

"It's just not right," Mrs. Weasley lamented. "Children being repeatedly exposed to Dark Magic… There is a special place in hell for whoever did that to you."

Gemini chuckled a bit at this and replied, "Yes, I am inclined to agree. I should also thank you for putting her there."

Mrs. Weasley gasped at Gemini's implication and made to retort, but Gemini was already heading back into the kitchen. With one last look at the long list, Mrs. Weasley folded the parchment, placed it in the front pocket of her robes, and followed Gemini back into the kitchen, already mentally going through which measurements Madame Malkin was most likely to need.

 _ **The Unknown Malfoy: A Life in the Shadows, Illuminated**_

 _ **Part One: The Beginning**_

 _ **By Rita Skeeter**_

 _It is a well-known, though little spoken of, fact within the pureblood community that Narcissa Malfoy (née Black) struggled to conceive and carry a Malfoy heir. In keeping with the Malfoy family tradition, Lucius Malfoy married Narcissa Black on the 1_ _st_ _of May in 1975 during Beltane. A festival known for rebirth, fertility, and growth, Beltane celebrates the transition from spring to summer and has been the anniversary of every Malfoy marriage for at least ten generations. It is believed that marriage on such an auspicious day blesses the married couple with good fortune and ensures a fruitful union. Narcissa, who was just twenty years old at the time, was head over heels in love with the Malfoy heir, who was two years her senior, and the couple began trying for a baby immediately._

 _To the young witch's great sorrow, her womb struggled to produce a viable pregnancy. According to a source close to the family, the couple endured six miscarriages, all male, during the first four years of their marriage. The same source reports that Abraxas Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's late father, had begun talking of marriage dissolution when Narcissa fell pregnant for a seventh time. Twins, while rare in any family, were unheard of in both the Black and Malfoy lines. With no history of multiples on either side and the added rarity of a fraternal male-female pregnancy, one has to wonder how this conception was possible in the first place. If anyone did question whether there was the possibility of dark magic being involved in the conception, they were quickly silenced by the power of the Blacks and Malfoys, not to mention He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, who was nearing the height of his power when the twins were conceived on the 31_ _st_ _of October in 1979._

 _If you've paid diligent attention, my readers, you will notice that these dates do not quite match up. As I revealed in my previous article, the Malfoy twins were born on the 5_ _th_ _of June in 1980. However, if they were conceived on the night of Samhain in 1979, as my source reports, then they should have been born in early August, not June. To all who saw her, Narcissa Malfoy appeared to be a glowing vision during her pregnancy. Having recovered from the emotional turmoil that was her initial infertility, Narcissa basked in the healthy swell of her abdomen and the attention this brought. She could be spotted quite frequently pursuing the racks of baby clothes in Diagon Alley shops and even purchasing children's books in Flourish and Blotts. Despite a difficult start, her pregnancy progressed smoothly and was on track for a timely delivery in late July or early August (it's known within the medical community that twins typically deliver at week 38 or 39 instead of week 40). This is where the story of the Malfoy twins becomes all the more interesting._

 _With the second wizarding war behind us and You-Know-Who vanquished for good, details surrounding the Boy Who Lived and how he lived have finally emerged. We all know at this point that the connection between You-Know-Who and Harry Potter was sparked in early 1980 when Severus Snape overheard a prophecy that Sybill Trelawney delivered to Albus Dumbledore and reported it back to his Dark Lord. The prophecy, which was unknown until recently, claimed that 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...'. While this could refer to any number of children, Albus Dumbledore believed the prophecy referred to the Potters, who were both prominent members of the Order of the Phoenix with a son due at the end of July. Likewise, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, who vividly remembered the three occasions on which he had squared off with the Potters in battle, believed their son to be the prophesized threat._

 _Meanwhile, my source, who assures me they were quite close to the Malfoy family at the time, reports that Narcissa Malfoy had her doubts. With twins due around the same time as mentioned in the prophecy, Narcissa worried that her pregnancy could catch the Dark Lord's eye. Though not having defied him with wand fire, Narcissa and Lucius had taken a stand against the Dark Lord on several occasions. The first of which occurred when the Dark Lord insisted that Narcissa be marked. Lucius managed to convince his Lord that his wife needed to, for appearances, be a neutral party with no obvious markings to tie her to the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord acquiesced. When the Dark Lord wanted to claim Malfoy Manor as his base of operations, Narcissa refused. She told Lucius that she refused to have his Death Eater friends in their home around her small children and made him offer the Dark Lord one of the Malfoy summer homes instead. Lucius acquiesced. Finally, when the Dark Lord demanded that Lucius promise him his first born son, Lucius refused. He escaped the Dark Lord's wrath by claiming he wanted his son to make his own choice and feel the power of that choice for himself. Again, the Dark Lord acquiesced._

 _My source reports that, as the summer dawned in 1980, Narcissa became anxious. With the Dark Lord becoming nearly frantic over finding the Potters and murdering them before they could birth the prophesized child, Narcissa began to fear that he would widen the scope of his search for the child who would be his undoing. It was with this fear that Narcissa approached Severus Snape with a plea and a promise. On the 4_ _th_ _of June, 1980, Narcissa visited Snape at his home in Spinners End and pleaded for him to help her induce her labor. Snape, nearing the end of his Mastery study in Potions, knew how to induce an early labor, but initially refused. He worried over harming the babies and of the reaction of his good friend, Lucius, should he learn of his involvement. Ever a Slytherin, Narcissa had come prepared for Snape's resistance._

 _She knew of the deep love he held for Lily Potter (née Evans) and of the guilt he felt at having inadvertently placed her life in danger. Unlike the Dark lord, Narcissa understood love and the lengths to which one would go to protect those they loved. Acting on a hunch, Narcissa called Snape out on his double cross and told him she knew he was a spy for the Order. She promised to take an Unbreakable Vow to protect his secret and, further, to feed him information when she could to help him keep up his charade. Backed into a corner, Snape agreed. After sealing the Vow, Snape provided Narcissa with a potion and instructed her to take it at home the following day. The potion would leave no trace in her system and the early labor would appear to be a natural consequence of carrying twins._

 _It was thus that, Gemini Aurora Malfoy and her brother, Draco Arcturus, were born on the 5_ _th_ _of June in 1980. Bound by her Vow to Snape, Narcissa never spoke of her forced induction to her husband or children. Even after his death, which released her from her obligation, Narcissa has kept tight lipped on this secret. Instead, the heirs of the fortunes of Black and Malfoy were raised with a forthright knowledge of their privileged place in wizarding society and of the responsibilities and entitlements with which this privilege came, but no inkling that their lives could have taken a decidedly different turn all those years ago. Given the secrecy shrouding the twins, this author cannot wait to dig deeper into the lives on the Malfoys. My dear readers, I promise that I will exhaust all possible resources to discover the truth behind how the Malfoy twins were conceived, the depth of their affiliation with the Dart Arts and the Dark Lord, and what sort of threat they now pose to society. Stay tuned for more on the Malfoys in Part two of 'The Unknown Malfoy' coming soon._


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 **A/N EDIT:** Thank you to Toraach for pointing out that I had inconsistently killed off and revived Lavender Brown! I assure you that Lavender is indeed dead (RIP Lav Lav) and have corrected that mistake in this revised chapter. I will try harder in the future to ensure that the people I kill off stay dead...

 **A/N:** As promised, we're heading to Hogwarts in this chapter. Before anyone comments on this, let me go ahead and say that I made no attempt to replicate Hagrid's usual speech, so you'll just have to use your imagination with that dialogue. Additionally, I was a bit fuzzy on some of the sorting details so I made reference of my copy of The Sorcerer's Stone for bits of that scene. Lastly, the Sorting Hat song is a direct copy and paste from JK's original text – not mine! I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, please let me know what you think by leaving a few words in the comment box!

 **Chapter 11**

 **September 1, 1998 – The Burrow**

The remaining two weeks of summer at the Burrow passed quietly for the twins. Their initial outrage at the latest installment of 'The Unknown Malfoy' was diffused by Mrs. Weasley who assured Draco and Gemini that, after her smear campaigns against members of the 'Golden Trio' before and during the war, no reasonable witch or wizard took Skeeter's words at face value. As a known muckraker, her articles sold papers, but were mostly regarded as fiction. Accepting this, the twins tried their best to quell the cycle of dread and relief they felt each morning as the Prophet arrived without a new feature.

Most disturbing to Gemini was the fact that she could not dispute a large portion of what the Skeeter woman was writing. Everything she wrote was either true, if colored by the writer's own prejudice, or completely unknown information to Gemini and Draco. She had written to her mother for clarification, but had not received a response. She wasn't sure what her mother hoped to achieve in not responding, as her silence was as good as confirmation to Gemini. Silently vowing to discover where Skeeter was getting her information, Gemini put the matter to the back of her mind and focused her attention on packing her trunk.

"Draco," Gemini called across the hall, "Have you seen my gray jumper?"

Walking the short distance to the doorway and surveying the chaos of Gemini's bedroom, Draco replied, "I imagine it's buried somewhere in this mess. Honestly Gem, we're eighteen. How have your organizational skills not progressed at all since age eleven?"

Offering her brother a scowl, Gemini huffed, "If you're not going to help, then just go away."

Draco chuckled but stepped further into the room. Picking up one of the plain black Hogwarts robes on top of the pile of laundry, Draco began folding and placing Gemini's clothes neatly in her trunk.

"I see Mrs. Weasley graciously bestowed you with a second hand trunk as well," Draco scoffed. "Honestly, I've no idea where we stand with that woman. One minute she's downright motherly towards us and the next she completely embarrasses us by giving us her childrens' hand-me-downs."

It was Gemini's turn to laugh at that as she responded, "I think the two are about the same for her, Draco. Didn't you tell me once of some garish robes she made her own son wear to the Yule Ball?"

"Oh yes," Draco muttered. "The Weasel's Yule robes were truly something to behold. Only a Weasley would consider hand-me-downs a sign of affection."

Rolling her eyes at her brother's snide remark, Gemini pondered, "You don't suppose I could just wandlessly remove the 'C.W." initials from the trunk do you?"

"Merlin no, Gemini!" Draco exclaimed. "We're on thin ice with the Ministry as it is. The last thing we need is your trace pinging just minutes before we leave for school!"

With a sigh, Gemini conceded, "I know… It was a nice thought though. Imagine the laughs these trunks will receive. 'Oh how the mighty have fallen. The rich Malfoy children, forced to accept used goods from their former nemeses.'"

"I'm sure a couple beat up trunks will be the least of our worries, once we get to school," Draco grumbled, already dreading the scathing welcome he was certain awaited them at Hogwarts.

"I suppose you're right," Gemini huffed, throwing her weight on top of the ancient trunk, attempting to lock it shut. After a few moments of struggle and with the help of Draco's added weight, she finally wrestled the latch into the lock and dragged the trunk from the bed to the floor.

On cue, Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs that they had five minutes until it was time to leave for the Platform and to get their trunks downstairs so Mr. Weasley could shrink them for travel. After a forlorn look towards the stairs, Gemini turned to Draco.

"I guess this is it," she began. "Time to face the world again."

"Guess so," Draco shrugged, a shadow falling over his face and a blank look settling in his eyes. Turning to go fetch his trunk, he added "Let's get this over with."

 **September 1, 1998 – Platform 9 ¾**

As Beauxbatons and Hogwarts both start term on the 1st of September each year, Gemini was never able to accompany Draco to Platform 9 ¾. He had told her the basics of course, that you arrive on a muggle train platform at Kings Cross station, run at a brick wall between platforms 9 and 10, and are then transported to the hidden wizarding platform where a scarlet steam engine transports the students to their castle in the Scottish Highlands. Compared to the graceful and luxurious Abraxan horse-drawn carriages which escort Beauxbatons students from le Quartier Magique to their school in the Pyrenees, the steam engine and overall Hogwarts transport system was a bit lacking, in Gemini's opinion.

Gemini hovered anxiously by Draco's side, as Mrs. Weasley bid an emotional farewell to her youngest two children and their friends. She gave Harry an extra-long hug and said something to him which Gemini couldn't make out. Harry gave a sharp nod in reply to whatever she had said and turned to follow his friends onto the train. Mrs. Weasley watched their retreat for a moment before finally turning to regard the Malfoy children.

"Chin up, dearies!" she encouraged upon seeing the gloomy expressions on both their faces. With a glance around the platform at the many students and even parents who were trying and failing to hide their sneering appraisal of the picture the threesome made, she added, "They'll get the staring out of their systems soon enough. Give it a week, maybe two, and the other students will have found something else to gossip about and they won't be a bother to you anymore."

Turning to Gemini, Mrs. Weasley insisted, "Please do write to me once you've had your sorting. I need to know what color to knit your Christmas sweater!"

Having momentarily forgotten the sorting, Gemini groaned, but nodded her agreement anyway. The steam engine whistle roared behind them, warning parents and children to finish their goodbyes.

"Off you go now," Mrs. Weasley said, pulling a shocked Draco and Gemini into a large, motherly hug. "Have a great year and don't hesitate to write if you need anything! Mr. Weasley and I will be here to pick you up at Christmas."

Released from the stronghold Mrs. Weasley had them in, Draco and Gemini muttered their goodbyes and made their way, trunks in tow, to the train.

"Suppose everyone saw that?" Gemini questioned as she followed he brother through car after car looking for an empty compartment.

"Without a doubt," grumbled Draco.

Reaching the final train car, they finally found an empty compartment across from a compartment which appeared to be full of eager first years. After helping Gemini place her trunk in the overhead rack, Draco pulled the compartment curtains tightly shut, ensuring their safety from prying eyes.

Settled on her side of the compartment, Gemini tried to read the frayed copy of 'Hogwarts a History' she had nicked from the Weasley bookshelf a few days prior, but the weight of her anxiety had her stomach doing flips as she considered what awaited her at said castle. Her letter had indicated that she should follow the first years to their designated meeting place where they would wait to be met by the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, Rubeus Hagrid. She supposed this was so that she could participate in the traditional House Sorting which Draco had told her about, but Gemini still took some offence at being lumped with a group of eleven year olds.

"Draco," Gemini asked, breaking the silence in their compartment. "What house do you think I'll be sorted into?

"Slytherin, of course," Draco scoffed. Taking in the worried look on his sister's face, he added more gently, "You've nothing to worry about, Gem. You're a Slytherin through and through, just like me. The hat barely touched my head before sorting me in my first year. You have more to worry about with the jeering crowd than from that old hat."

"That's so reassuring. I hadn't even begun worrying about the crowd, but I'll be sure to add it to my list," Gemini retorted, burying her head in her book once more and trying desperately to push the thoughts aside. She knew she needed to get a hold of herself and ensure that there were no cracks in her stone façade before they arrived. She would not let anyone see how their words and looks affected her. Staring unseeingly at the book, Gemini began to formulate her plan of attack for the upcoming year.

Contrary to whatever Mrs. Weasley said, this school year was a punishment from the Ministry – something to be endured and overcome, not something to be enjoyed. She would stick as close to Draco as possible and limit her interactions with other students to unavoidable pleasantries and class participation. She was not looking for friends. Years of isolation and ostracism from the prudish, judgmental Beauxbatons students had prepared her well and, as much as she was dreading the upcoming school year, Gemini was thankful that she would never have to see her old alma mater again. To be sure, she would be even more unwelcome at Hogwarts than at Beauxbatons, but at least at Hogwarts she would have Draco by her side.

Gemini's thoughts were interrupted when the door to their compartment suddenly flew open and a tall redhead with his lips rather alarmingly attached to the face of a petite Indian witch stumbled in. Apparently not noticing that the compartment was occupied, the couple continued their passionate snog in the doorway for a moment, before the redhead came up for air and Gemini recognized him as the youngest Weasley son.

"Oi, Weasel," exclaimed Draco. "If you don't mind, this compartment is occupied. Go molest your groupie somewhere else!"

The 'groupie' with Weasley gasped and jumped behind him, obviously afraid of the enigmatic Malfoy twins. His face beginning to turn red, Weasley rounded on Draco.

"Actually, Malfoy, I do mind. Why don't you and your sister leave this compartment and give Parvati and I some privacy? Or have you traded in your Death Eater robes for the role of peeping tom?" he sneered.

Gemini groaned inwardly at Weasley's reference to their Death Eater days. There was no way Draco would let it drop now. Standing to confront Weasley, Gemini noted that though Draco was a good three inches shorter than the lanky redhead, the other boy looked small in comparison to her proud, seething brother.

"You know nothing about us, Weasley. Get out of this compartment now before I –"

"Before you what, Malfoy? Hex me? With what wand? In fact, I'm pretty sure you're entirely at my mercy right now," Weasley interrupted, pulling out his own wand in the process to show off that he had one.

Draco seemed to deflate a bit at this. Gemini was fairly certain that he had, in fact, intended to finish off his threat with 'before I hex your arse back to that hovel you call home' or something similarly Draco-ish.

"Not all of us need to rely on a piece of wood to use our magic, Weasley," Draco sneered in reply.

"What in the name of Merlin going on here? You boys are making an incredible racket!" came the exasperated voice of Hermione Granger.

Weasley tensed at the sound of Granger's voice and turned to face her, his face having gone from a deep red to a stark white remarkably quickly.

"Mione! Just who we were looking for when we ran into Malfoy here," started Weasley.

"You were looking for me?" Granger asked, clearly confused by this excuse.

"Yes, of course! Parvati was just helping me look for your compartment when we ran into the Malfoys and they insulted us. I was just defending Parvati's honor, Mione. You understand," Weasley stammered.

"I told you which compartment Harry and I were in when we met at the trolley, Ron," Granger replied suspiciously. "And defending Parvati's 'honor' is no excuse to pull your wand on an unarmed wizard!"

"Oh you know me, always so forgetful! Completely forgot what compartment number you said and that Malfoy here doesn't have a wand." Weasley smiled, clearly trying to charm his friend into believing his lie. Come to think of it, Gemini was fairly certain Granger and Weasley had been an item at one point. Perhaps still? A smirk made its way onto her face as she decided to test this idea.

"Your method of searching out Granger's apartment was rather ineffective, wouldn't you say? One typically uses their eyes for searching and yours were firmly shut while you snogged –" Gemini paused for effect here and directed her sneering gaze to the Indian girl, "—Parvati, was it?"

As expected, Granger gasped and turned a murderous look on Weasley. "You were snogging this bint?!" she exclaimed.

"Who are you calling a bint?!" Parvati cried, trying to make herself relevant again.

"You, you no good, two Knut homewrecker!" screamed Granger, turning her ire on the other witch.

"Mione, let me explain," whined Weasley. "She's lying! How can you possibly believe a Malfoy over me, your best friend and boyfriend?"

"For the last time, Ronald," spat Hermione. "My name is HER-mione. Not Mione. Not Maya. Not Min. It's HER-mione. Is my name really too long for you to comprehend? Honestly, it took Viktor less time to learn how to pronounce my name correctly!"

Weasley seemed to give up on working Granger around to his side and his face began to match his hair once more. He huffed for a moment as though debating how he should respond before exclaiming, "Fine. Believe them if you want, but don't expect me to accept your betrayal. Siding with Death Eaters… I don't even know who you are anymore. Whatever this was, it's over!"

Not waiting for her reply, Weasley grabbed Parvati by her wrist and dragged her out of the compartment and through to the next train car, probably on his way to win his sister and Potter over to his side. Granger stood stunned for a moment before letting out a rather small huff and making her way in the same direction.

"Look at that, we're already making friends," Gemini sneered, as she rolled her eyes and returned her focus to her book.

Draco glared at his sister, but didn't reply. Slamming the compartment door shut once more, Draco resumed his seat and they spent the remainder of the ride in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

 **September 1, 1998 – Hogsmeade Station**

After promising to find him at the Slytherin table after her sorting, Gemini bid farewell to Draco on the platform of Hogsmeade station and made her way towards the dock of the Black Lake along with all the excited little first years. At the dock, Gemini stood a bit apart from the first years while they awaited the arrival of their escort. Though the stares of the first years were more obvious than those of the older years, Gemini actually found them to be less annoying and almost refreshing. Rather than giving a half effort to hide their contempt and, in some cases, fear of her, like many of the older students did, the first years didn't yet have the social grace to effectively veil their trepidation. Not having her wand made Gemini feel weak and vulnerable so it was nice, she thought, to have some semblance of power back. One sharp look from Gemini and they would all scamper further away from her. A satisfied smirk reached her face, as she began to feel more in control than she had felt in months.

"Welcome first years! Welcome!" bellowed an unbelievably large man whose mouth and eyes were barely visible through his large, black beard and head of unruly dark hair.

"My name is Professor Rubeus Hagrid. I teach Care of Magical Creatures here at Hogwarts and it has been my pleasure escort you firsties to the castle for more than 40 years. We'll be taking boats across the Black Lake to get to the castle for your sorting, so mind that you keep your fingers and toes inside the boat at all times. The giant squid has been known to try to play with new students before. Perfectly harmless, of course."

It took everything Gemini had to keep her face expressionless as Professor Hagrid referred to a giant squid which liked to 'play' with new students as 'perfectly harmless'. So far, Hogwarts was turning out to be every bit the looney bin Draco had described it to be. A couple sharp looks later, Gemini was comfortably situated in her own private boat, slowly crossing the Black Lake.

The castle shone brightly against the black night sky and the reflection of the lights on the lake made the scene look truly fantastic and magical. However, as the small boats slowly crossed the water and the first years stared in wonder and awe at the majestic castle, Gemini held a white knuckle grip on the side of her boat, while she was transported back to the night she looked on at a sight much like this one, only far more sinister and perhaps even more fantastic.

 **May 2** **nd** **, 1998 – Outskirts of Hogsmeade**

The summons had been unexpected. Gemini had been on an intelligence gathering mission with three other Death Eaters when they all felt their marks burn harder than ever before, a sure sign that their Lord was both angry and demanding their immediate attention. The interrogation of Mr. and Mrs. Bones would have to wait. Turning on the spot, Gemini used her mark to apparate to the Dark Lord.

As Malfoy Manor had been the defacto headquarters of the Dark Lord's operations for more than a year, Gemini was surprised when she found herself standing at the edge of a forest, looking up at a large, brightly lit castle. She didn't have much time to take in details though, as she soon found herself swept up in a flurry of Death Eaters flocking into a circle and looked to her left to see that her parents had been the ones to move her along, her father's hand wrapped tightly around her elbow.

"Where's Draco?" whispered Gemini to her father.

Lucius kept his gaze forward, but replied in a measured voice, "He's inside the castle. The Order has managed to seize it."

Gemini felt her heart constrict at this news. If Draco was trapped inside an Order run castle, then there was no telling what they would do to him. They could capture him and keep him as a prisoner. They could kill him on spot just for bearing the Mark. They could torture him for information regarding the Dark Lord. From what Gemini had heard, the Order exercised their own, unique brand of compassion when they held prisoners, but she had learned the hard way to trust no one outside of her own family and that people were capable of a great many things when they felt they had 'no other choice'. She and Draco were example enough of that very thing.

"We must retrieve him!" demanded Gemini.

"Hush," scolded Lucius, turning to look at him daughter for a moment. "We can do nothing until we have received the Dark Lord's orders. Leave here now and we are all dead." Fighting every impulse she had to take off running towards the massive castle, Gemini took a deep breath and gave a sharp nod as she moved her attention to the center of the circle.

"My loyal Death Eaters," the Dark Lord hissed. "I have gathered you here tonight so that you may join me on this most glorious evening when we shall put an end to the 'Boy Who Lived' once and for all. Too long this boy has stood as a symbol of hope to the resistant Light. Tonight, we will bring down Harry Potter and all who stand at his side. Tonight we will cement our reign on the wizarding world!"

The Dark Lord's speech was greeted will cheers and shouts of agreement from his more sycophantic followers, but Gemini kept her face and mind blank, guarding herself from the Dark Lord's probing Legilimency. It would not due for him to discover her true apathy towards his plight. Gemini had always secretly wondered at the number of people who would enthusiastically follow a man who claimed his greatest nemesis was a child. She could not allow such thoughts to surface now though.

"The wards surrounding Hogwarts are legendary," continued the Dark Lord. "Never before have these wards been broken, but tonight, my dear followers, we will make history! Come with me to the perimeter and we shall bring this castle to its knees."

Gemini had no desire to help bring down the wards protecting a school full of innocent children, but she also knew there was no way the Hogwarts wards would let someone with a Dark Mark inside uninvited. With finding Draco as her singular objective, she moved into position beside her parents and joined them in casting her own shield penetration charm at the bubble encasing the school.

 **September 1** **st** **, 1998 – Hogwarts**

Gemini was torn from her reverie by the feeling of her boat bumping into a dock. She had been so lost in thought that she missed the entire journey to the school and was one of the last to exit the little boats. Keeping a small distance between herself and the others, Gemini followed everyone up the sloping hill leading up to the castle and felt her pervious nerves come back full force. She recalled Draco boasting about how the hat had barely touched his head before proclaiming him a Slytherin, but she was not all that reassured by this.

For one, Draco had been sorted when he was eleven years old, before he had the life altering experiences of the past two years. Secondly, despite being twins, she and Draco had always been quite different. They were both mischievous and cunning, but Draco had always had a much stronger self-preservation streak than Gemini and, until recently, had bought into the blood purity dogma they had been fed as children whole-heartedly. Gemini, for her part, would do anything to get what she wanted, but what she wanted, more often than not, was to be left alone and to keep those she loved safe. Though she had not rejected the blood purity teachings as a child, she had not kept them foremost on her mind and had always had the ability to overlook those teachings when it suited her. She doubted she was studious enough for Ravenclaw, but she desperately hoped that the Sorting Hat would consider that house the next best alternative if she was not a fit for Slytherin. Gemini doubted very much that a Hufflepuff or, Merlin forbid, Gryffindor, sorting would be acceptable to her family.

Stepping into what appeared to be the entrance hall of the castle, Gemini came to a stop at the bottom of a large set of marble stairs, beyond which stood a closed set of large double doors with the muffled sounds of a large gathering seeping through them. At the top of the stairs stood an older, stern looking woman that Gemini vaguely recognized from the Battle of Hogwarts.

"Good evening new students and welcome to Hogwarts. I am your Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. There are four houses at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, each named after one of the four school founders. The sorting ceremony is a very important tradition, as your house will be your family while you are here at school. You will eat at your house table, sleep in your house dormitory, and have classes with your housemates."

"Please form a single file line and follow me quietly into the Great Hall, where we will begin your sorting," finished the Headmistress.

While the first years scrambled to form a line, Gemini waited at the back, having no desire to stick out like a sore thumb – the rogue eighteen year old in the middle of a line of short eleven year olds. As they filed into the hall, Gemini took in her surroundings, noting the amazing difference a few months had made.

The last time she had stood in this hall, large pieces of the ceiling's stone trusses had littered the flagstone floor and one side of the room had been converted into a makeshift medic station while the other had become a morgue. No trace of the previous damage remained and instead Gemini found herself looking upon a beautiful hall with an enchanted ceiling and brightly colored house banners. Gemini shook these thoughts from her mind as the line of students came to a stop in front of a raised dais, upon which stood a small, wooden stool where an battered, old fashioned wizard's hat rested. Draco hadn't provided many details on what the sorting was like, simply stating that they use an old hat as a type of personality test to place you into your house. The entire process seemed fairly straight forward, if a bit odd, to Gemini so she hadn't asked more. She was, therefore, quite surprised when a seam on the front of the hat opened like a mouth and the thing began to sing.

" _Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

 _But don't judge on what you see,_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find_

 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,_

 _Your top hats sleek and tall,_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_

 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_

 _So try me on and I will tell you_

 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_

 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_

 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

 _Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

 _Where they are just and loyal,_

 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

 _And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

 _If you've a ready mind,_

 _Where those of wit and learning,_

 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_

 _You'll make your real friends,_

 _Those cunning folks use any means_

 _To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

 _And don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The Great Hall burst into applause when the Sorting Hat finished its song and the Headmistress stepped forward with a scroll of parchment in hand. Once the hall was quiet once more, she unrolled the parchment and called the first name, "Abernathy, Laurent!"

A small, round boy with brown hair and wireframe glasses stepped forward nervously and McGonagall plopped the hat onto his head. The hat was laughably large on his head and nearly covered the boy's eyes completely. Gemini could see the mouth seam of the hat moving as though it was speaking to the boy, but she couldn't make out the words.

After about ten seconds, the hat opened its mouth wide and shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

The table to the middle-left cheered and the boy ran off to join his new house, a wide smile plastered on his face. Gemini didn't pay much attention to the sorting after that. Instead, she allowed her eyes to scan the Slytherin table for the white blond hair of her brother. She finally spotted him sitting all the way at the end of the Slytherin table at the back of the hall and frowned for a moment when she noted that no one was seated with him. It seemed the other students had deliberately placed a good three seats between themselves and Draco, as though trying to distance themselves from his dark reputation. Gemini let out a small huff at their lack of solidarity, but reassured herself that Draco would not be sitting alone for long. No one would make her brother a black sheep if she could help it.

Gemini grew weary as the line of first years got shorter and shorter and she was forced to step further into the hall. A few of the older students seemed to have noticed her by now and she could feel their cold stares and hear their low whispers as her sorting drew nearer. Staring resolutely ahead with a blank face, Gemini kept her eyes locked on the Headmistress and refused to acknowledge the stares.

'Let them look all they like,' thought Gemini. 'One year of this nonsense and then I'll be free of them.'

"Malfoy, Gemini!" called Headmistress McGonagall.

Ignoring the gasps which rang out around the room, Gemini strode confidently up to the small stool and sat down stiffly. The hat did not cover her eyes ridiculously, as it did with the first years, but Gemini almost wished it had. She had no idea where to look now that the monstrosity was on her head.

" _Monstrosity, eh?" rang a crackly voice inside her head. "That'll be your Malfoy manners I suppose."_

Gemini jumped at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, but kept her face a blank mask so as not to reveal her distress to the students below.

" _Yes, you are quite good at concealing your true self from others, it would seem," continued the hat. "Cunning, manipulative, intelligent… all markers of a strong Slytherin."_

 _Clenching her eyes shut, Gemini retorted, "Yes, so place me in Slytherin and let's be done with this. My brother is waiting for me."_

" _Ah, but I sense a few other qualities which should be examined first," replied the hat. "Fierce loyalty to those you love, bravery in your drive to defend what is yours, and a deep curiosity for that which has been denied to you. Not exactly the most Slytherin of characteristics."_

" _That which has been denied to me?" scoffed Gemini. "I'm a Malfoy. I've been denied nothing my entire life. You know nothing about me you stupid hat. Place me in Slytherin before I sew that mouth of yours shut and sell you to one of the hags in Knockturn Alley!"_

Gemini was beginning to feel desperate. She wasn't sure how long she had been arguing with the hat, but she could hear the whispering in the hall begin to rise the longer she sat on the stool and she opened her eyes a crack to seek out her brother. Draco was staring at her with an obvious look of worry etched on his face – this was clearly not the quick sorting he had anticipated.

"… _and a strong desire to break free of your past," finished the Sorting Hat._

Gemini startled as she caught the last of what he had said. She had been distracted in her attempts to silently convey to Draco that she was trying her best to get the sorting done with and had completely missed whatever else the hat had said to her. She regretted this immediately, as she didn't have a moment more to argue, because, at that moment, the hat opened its mouth and shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 **A/N:** This chapter is a bit shorter than the past couple and is entirely Gemini focused. I will try to incorporate more from Draco's POV in subsequent chapters, but this one focuses more on the immediate aftermath of Gemini's sorting. As always, please let me know what you think by leaving a few words in the comment box!

 **Chapter 12**

 **September 1** **st** **, 1998 – Hogwarts**

A moment of silence in which the entire Great Hall seemed to have lost its breath followed the Sorting Hat's exclamation. Gemini felt her stone exterior crack as her panicked gaze met the devastated stare of her brother. The moment was over quickly though and soon the entire hall was bursting with outrage. The Slytherins spat harsh words of 'traitor' and 'muggle lover' at her, while some Gryffindors yelled that she had tricked the hat and others shouted that she was 'Death Eater scum'. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, for the most part, sat in stunned silence, most of them simply grateful that she had not been sorted into their house. Gemini sat frozen to the wooden stool, sure that the moment she moved in the direction of the Gryffindors their verbal attacks would turn violent.

"SILENCE!" rang the Headmistress' voice, with help of a Sonorous charm. Once the hall had quieted to a reasonable degree, she continued, "This behavior is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. I will not hear a single word regarding the veracity of this sorting and I'll not have taunts and insults thrown about this Great Hall in blatant disrespect of the hallowed tradition that is the Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony. You should all be ashamed of yourselves."

Turning to Gemini, the Headmistress placed a hand on her shoulder and gently motioned for her to stand. In a voice only Gemini could hear she said, "The Sorting Hat does not make mistakes. Welcome to Gryffindor. Now stand tall and go sit with your new house."

Gemini numbly did as she was told, standing from the little stool and stepping down from the dais. Her blood felt cold and her ears rang as she stepped closer towards the middle-right table. She vaguely registered that her plain black tie had turned a bright red and gold and the patch on her robes now showed a golden lion instead of the Hogwarts crest. Walking between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables, Gemini noted how each Gryffindor scooted a little closer to the person next to them, to ensure there was no space for her to sit between them. She continued walking and looking for an open place until, finally, she reached the very end of the table. Gemini was sure that the other students would have loved to bar her from sitting entirely, making her stand for the duration of the feast, but they couldn't quite spread out enough to take up all the extra seats. She sat down stiffly in the very last seat at the far end of the table, one seat between her and a terrified looking first year.

As soon as she was seated, the Headmistress clapped her hands once and a feast appeared on each house table. Looking across the hall to where Draco was seated, Gemini sent him a questioning look, wanting to be sure that he was still with her. Draco gave a sharp nod in her direction and began filling his plate with food. Gemini looked down at her lap and quickly blinked away the tears she felt building as the relief that her brother had not abandoned her washed over her body. After a few slow breaths to collect herself, Gemini surveyed the spread in front of her.

In contrast to the gaudy French food served at Beauxbatons, the Hogwarts feast was quintessentially British. The table was laden with a myriad of pies, bangers and mash, and roast, along with many different types of breads and sides. Gemini doubted the Hogwarts food could come close to Mrs. Weasley's cooking, but the sight and smells did remind her that she hadn't eaten anything since her hurried breakfast early that morning. Not daring to ask another student to pass anything to her, Gemini filled her plate with only the foods directly in front of her, which included roast, carrots, and dinner rolls. As dessert came around, she gazed longingly at the treacle tart a few seats down from her, but settled instead for the sponge cake she could reach.

'Perhaps this won't be so bad,' Gemini thought. 'If I ignore them and they ignore me, maybe we can coexist long enough to graduate.'

The feast ended with Headmistress McGonagall providing a list of banned items, including a blanket ban on all Weasley Wizard Wheezes products, reminding the students that the Forbidden Forest was strictly forbidden, and instructing first years to follow their house prefects to navigate the castle to their dorms and receive the password to their house commons. Gemini groaned inwardly at this announcement.

'Of course they can't just provide written directions to the commons,' grumbled Gemini as she stood from her seat and made her way over towards the congregated Gryffindor first years. 'I've got to continue to be lumped with these children and won't be able to speak with Draco tonight.'

As before, Gemini followed the first years from a distance, being sure to stay close enough not to lose them, but far enough away that one might think she wasn't with them. This, as it turned out, was a mistake.

"Oi, Malfoy," called a voice from behind Gemini. Ignoring the voice, she pressed on, hoping they would stop their pursuit if she pretended not to hear. Increasing her speed just slightly, Gemini kept her head high and eyes trained on the first year group ahead.

"Malfoy!" called the voice again. This time Gemini didn't bother being discreet in her attempt to avoid whoever it was calling her name. She sped ahead at a pace just short of a jog and, again, kept her eyes straight ahead.

A strong yank on her left shoulder brought her to a sudden halt and, not being able to control the sharp change in momentum, Gemini lost her balance and fell with a harsh 'thud' onto the stone floor.

Snickers followed her tumble and Gemini looked up into the sneering face of a Hufflepuff boy who appeared to be about her age. He was flanked by two other nameless Hufflepuffs, a couple Gryffindors, and even a younger Slytherin.

"I was calling you, Malfoy. It's disrespectful to ignore your betters," he jeered.

Gemini continued to ignore him as she righted herself and dusted off her robes. Adopting her most apathetic and condescending face, she finally replied, "And just who might you be? I've certainly never seen your face before and you've the common accent of a middle born Half Blood."

Gemini hated to throw blood status into her insult, as she knew it played right into their preconceived ideas about her, but she really could tell he was a middle class Half Blood by his accent and he'd already been incredibly rude to her so she made the leap that he had a chip on his shoulder about his perceived station in life. She was right, of course.

The boy was quick to draw his wand, demanding, "You take that back, Death Eater!"

"Take what back?" asked Gemini in a bored tone. Ignoring the wand which he lofted in front of him with a sloppy dueling stance, she took a step towards him, "That I've never seen your face before? Well I haven't. Can't be anyone very important then, can you? Or were you referring to the 'middle born Half Blood' comment? Because, as far as I can tell, that's also true. Can't take back facts."

The boy seethed at this and raised his wand further so that the tip pressed into the base of Gemini's throat. Gemini remained unaffected, as she was certain that even at point blank range this pathetic excuse for a wizard wouldn't be able to hurt her.

Increasing the pressure, the boy exclaimed, "I said take it back!"

"And I said no," replied Gemini calmly with a smirk beginning to curl at the corners of her lips.

"Zacharias, leave it. She isn't worth getting expelled over," urged one of the Hufflepuff bystanders, apparently no longer amused by his friend's antics.

"Shut up, Justin," snapped the boy, whose named Gemini now gathered was 'Zacharias'.

'Definitely a half blood,' Gemini thought as she took in this new piece of information.

"What is the meaning of this," came a stern exclamation from behind Gemini. "Mr. Smith, lower your wand from Ms. Malfoy this instant!"

Zacharias lowered his wand quickly and stepped back to join his friends, adopting what he obviously thought was an innocent expression.

"Headmistress," Zacharias begged. "I was just helping Malfoy here understand that blood prejudice is not tolerated at Hogwarts. I was never going to harm her, honest!"

Gemini had a sharp intake of breath at Zacharias' clear accusation. This boy was trying to make the Headmistress believe that she had instigated the confrontation and was using the Malfoy reputation for blood prejudice as leverage!

"Headmistress, he is lying. He was trying to pick a fight—"

"Enough," cut off McGonagall. "No matter the circumstances, it is never acceptable to pull your wand on another student, Mr. Smith. 10 points from Hufflepuff and detention with Mr. Filch tomorrow evening."

Smith grumbled but accepted the punishment with a short nod. Believing the confrontation to be over, Gemini began to turn towards the direction she had last seen the first year group headed.

"And Ms. Malfoy," called the Headmistress.

Halting her movement, Gemini half turned her body towards the Headmistress, but did not bother moving her head to make eye contact. She knew it was too good to think she'd get away with no punishment.

"Yes, Headmistress?" Gemini asked.

"Mr. Smith is right about one thing. Blood prejudice is not tolerated at Hogwarts. If I hear any more reports of instances such as this, there will be consequences. Is that clear?" the Headmistress warned.

"Perfectly, Headmistress," Gemini replied dutifully.

"Good. Now get to your dorms, all of you, before you break curfew," commanded McGonagall.

Having completely lost track of the first years, Gemini had to resort to asking directions to the Gryffindor common room from portraits. After several wrong turns and redirects from the insanely inefficient (if she did say so herself) staircases, Gemini found herself standing outside of a large portrait of a fat woman in a garish pink dress.

"Password?" she requested absently, preoccupied with admiring herself in a hand mirror.

"I don't have the password, I'm new," explained Gemini.

"No password, no entrance," said the portrait, not bothering to look up from her reflection.

"Excellent," muttered Gemini. Stuck outside the common room, Gemini weighed her options. She could go in search of the Headmistress or another professor, but then she risked getting lost and being unable to find her way back to the common room. She could knock on the portrait frame and see if someone opened the door, but Gemini doubted anyone inside would actually let her in.

'No, they'd probably take great pleasure in seeing me stuck out here,' thought Gemini bitterly. 'None of this would be a problem if that stupid hat had just listened to me.'

Deciding her only option was to wait outside and hope someone, a professor preferably, walked past, Gemini leant against the stone wall next to the entrance. If someone did find her, she didn't want to be found sitting gracelessly on the dirty floor. About twenty minutes later, Gemini heard a bell chime somewhere deep in the castle indicating it was ten o'clock.

'Out past curfew on my first night,' thought Gemini. 'I'm already living up to the reckless reputation of Gryffindor.'

Another hour of waiting and Gemini's feet were sore and her eye lids were starting to droop, as the roller coaster events of the day began to take their toll. Not wanting to be found sleeping in the corridor, Gemini swallowed her pride and rapped sharply on the portrait frame three times.

A few moments later and still no response, Gemini tapped three times again but louder. Just as Gemini was beginning to think she should perhaps give up and find a comfortable piece of floor for the night, the portrait hole opened a crack and a green eye peered out.

"Who's there?" the person questioned.

"Probably no one you want to see, but a Gryffindor none the less," replied Gemini, stepping in front of the crack so the student could see her.

The portrait opened wider and Gemini was surprised to see Harry Potter standing on the other side.

"What are you doing outside, Gemini? It's past curfew!" questioned Potter.

Gemini filed away his use of her first name for closer examination later and explained, "I got separated from the first year group earlier and had to find my way here myself. I didn't have the password so the portrait wouldn't let me in."

Harry chuckled slightly at this and said, "Yes, the Fat Lady is quite particular about students having the password. Poor Neville had to sleep outside several times in our first year. Luckily his memory has improved greatly since."

Gemini just stared at Potter as he rambled. She had no idea who 'Neville' was and noticed quite pointedly that Potter still had not let her into the common room.

"That's nice," Gemini offered, trying her best to sound interested. "Are you going to let me in?"

"Oh," Harry exclaimed. "Yes, of course. Sorry about that!"

Opening the door wider, Potter motioned for Gemini to enter.

"Thank you," Gemini said softly, as she stepped through the threshold.

"Everyone else has gone up to bed already. I was headed there myself actually when I heard your knock. Lucky thing you knocked when you did," Harry laughed awkwardly as they stepped further into the deserted common room.

"Yes, quite lucky," Gemini agreed. "Would you mind telling me the password so I don't have to rely on luck next time?"

"Victory," Harry said as he gathered what looked to be a finished letter and parchment from the coffee table.

"Of course it is," Gemini grumbled to herself.

"What was that?" Harry asked as he returned to her side.

"Oh I just said, thank you," Gemini covered.

"Not a problem," Harry smiled. Pausing for a second and looking a bit unsure of himself, he added, "I'm sorry about earlier. We Gryffindors are usually a very welcoming bunch, but I think it's going to take everyone some time to put the past behind them."

Gemini was momentarily stunned that Potter genuinely appeared to feel remorseful about the bad attitudes of his housemates.

Realizing he was awaiting a response, Gemini offered, "Yes, well… It was to be expected. I served the Dark Lord, remember? I think I can handle a few angry teenagers."

"Well, welcome to Gryffindor anyway," Harry replied softly as he turned and made his way up a flight of stairs on the right side of the common room.

As soon as Potter was out of sight, Gemini let her shoulders slump and leaned heavily on the back of the worn couch in front of the fire. It had been a long day and, though serving the Dark Lord had certainly been the worse, Gemini knew she had downplayed just how hard it would be to face her angry peers every day. With a sigh, she returned her attention to the common room.

The room itself wasn't overly large, but Gemini thought it would comfortably fit about twenty students and could probably uncomfortably fit thirty. The main room was circular and contained a large fireplace as the main focal point. In front of the fireplace were several overstuffed armchairs and two worn looking couches. Around the perimeter of the room were a few study carrels and a couple tables, clearly designed for group study, but used more for games if the discarded chess board and game of exploding snap on one of the tables were any indication.

The entire room, from the drapes to the carpets, was decked out in crimson and gold. In a word, Gemini would have described the Gryffindor common room as 'loud'. Adjacent to the main common room was a smaller circular room with a large bay window and bench and bookcase lined walls. At the center of the smaller room, which Gemini internally dubbed the 'study nook' was a round table with six chairs around it. The cherry wood bookcases and hard wood floors gave the study nook a much quieter feel than the main common room and Gemini could see herself doing homework there away from her classmates. She hoped the room's small size made it an unpopular gathering place. Heading back into the main common room, Gemini presumed that the staircase on the left led to the girl's dormitories, as Potter had gone up the one to the right.

'Best get this over with,' Gemini thought, as she made her way up the stairs. The stairs curved and at the first landing, there was a door marked with a number one and a bathroom directly across from it. Continuing up the stairs, Gemini came to a door marked with a number two and yet another bathroom.

'Each year must have its own dorm room and bathroom,' realized Gemini. 'Merlin, I have to climb eight floors just to get to my room every day?!' Gemini was slightly out of breath by the time she reached the final landing and stopped in front of a newer looking door marked with a shiny gold number eight.

Turning the knob slowly and opening the door carefully to avoid making any noise, Gemini surveyed her new dorm from the entryway. The room was quite small and held only three beds, each separated by a corresponding desk, nightstand, and wardrobe. Like the common room, the dorm was circular and adorned in Gryffindor house colors. Two of the beds had curtains drawn, so Gemini presumed her dorm mates had already claimed those and were sleeping. Stepping towards the available bed, Gemini saw that the Hogwarts house elves had delivered her trunk and placed her uniforms in the wardrobe and unpacked her school supplies onto the desk. Opening her trunk, Gemini was silently thankful the house elves hadn't unpacked the personal belongings she had brought with her.

Perched on the edge of the four poster bed, Gemini pulled out one of the picture frames she had packed. Her mother had sent along three framed photographs with the family owl, Viribus, so that Gemini could 'have a piece of home with her' while she was away at school. Thinking of Viribus, Gemini hoped her owl, Circe, had made it to the Owlery without trouble. Along with Ares, Draco's owl, Circe had flown to the castle, rather than being packed up in a cage and delivered to the Owlery with the other student familiars.

Resolving to check up on the familiars the next day, Gemini returned her attention to the photograph in her hand. The picture had been taken on hers and Draco's eleventh birthday and showed the two of them dressed in their formal wear, standing hand in hand at the entrance to the Manor's main ballroom. Picture Gemini wore a dark green evening gown which flared out at the skirts and had fine silver stitching on the bodice. Picture Draco wore his finest black dress robes and had a silver snake pendant pinned to his collar. Picture Draco gave Picture Gemini a small smile which she returned before they both turned their attention forward again and Picture Draco gave a short bow while Picture Gemini gave a small curtsy as a symbol of their thanks for the crowd's applause and to signal the start of the festivities. Gemini sighed and placed the picture back in the trunk. Though the picture itself was innocent and she remembered what a wonderful night that had been, it reminded her of when she and Draco had stood hand in hand at the entrance to that same ballroom years later on the night of their marking, a night she already relived in her nightmares.

Picking up the second photograph, Gemini found herself looking at a picture of herself, Draco, and Lucius out on the Manor's small Quidditch pitch. This looked to be a couple years after her crash landing into the Manor library. She and Draco appeared to be about nine in the photo and had much steadier control of their brooms. Lucius looked to be calling out commands from the ground, while she and Draco flew in coordinated patterns according to whatever command was given. Gemini hadn't realized they were being photographed at the time, but was now grateful for the small reminder of happy times with her family. Gemini looked around her dorm briefly before placing the photo back in her trunk with the first.

'Reminding my dorm mates of who my father is will probably not endear them to me,' Gemini grimaced.

Picking up the last photograph, Gemini found herself looking at a young blonde woman sitting in a rocking chair with two small infants in her arms. It was night time in the photo and moonlight shown through the window of a nursery, lighting on the small children's blonde hair and giving them an angelic appearance. Looking closer, Gemini realized the woman in the photo was her mother about fifteen years younger and the children were one or two year old versions of her and Draco. Picture Narcissa appeared to be singing quietly to them, while their eyes drooped and blinked slower and slower until they slept soundly against her chest. Gemini let the photo loop several times while she committed it to memory. She thought of placing the photo back in the trunk with the others, feeling as though this was a sacred moment between the family, but instead she placed it on the nightstand. The picture was a reminder that her mother loved her and Gemini could not bring herself to put aside such comfort.

Closing her trunk and lamenting only briefly on her lack of wand and ability to safeguard her possessions with a locking spell, Gemini changed into sleepwear and pulled the curtains around her bed tightly shut.

'Tomorrow is when the real fun begins,' Gemini thought. 'Best to at least try to get some sleep before I throw myself into the lion's den.'


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 **A/N:** Here it is, another chapter for you! I enjoyed writing this one and am looking forward to writing more, but I'm going to go ahead and admit that my next update probably won't be for another few weeks. I am in the middle of business school applications and need to devote my writing time to writing application essays (boo!). I promise I'm not abandoning this story and will post again as soon as I can (probably mid-late September). You have no idea how motivating your reviews are, so please keep them coming!

 **Chapter 13**

 **September 2** **nd** **, 1998 - Hogwarts**

"Keep your hands on your own belongings," hissed an angry voice, followed by the unmistakable sound of someone snatching papers and throwing them on a hard surface.

"Oh please, what need do you have for an old issue of the Prophet?" hissed another voice.

"What need I have doesn't matter," the first voice retorted. "It's mine so you should keep your hands off."

Ripping back the curtains to her bed, Gemini was not surprised to see Granger and Patil at each other's throats. The sound of her curtains opening seemed to jolt the girls out of their argument and, with a scorching glare at Gemini and a smug look towards Hermione, the Patil girl left the dorm, slamming the door on her way out.

"Well isn't she a ray of bloody sunshine," offered Gemini as she stood and began making her bed.

Granger looked skeptically at Gemini for a moment, clearly waging an internal debate of some sort. After she had come to whatever decision she was making, Granger responded, "Parvati simply does not understand the boundaries of personal space or respect for other people's belongings."

"Suppose that extends to her friends' boyfriends too," Gemini commented indifferently as she dug through her wardrobe picking out uniform parts.

Granger huffed, but made no comment in return. With that brief interaction over, Gemini went about getting ready for the day. After making quick use of the small bathroom across the hall and taming her now shoulder length blonde locks into a half ponytail fastened with a silver 'M' barrette, Gemini stepped back into the dorm to grab her school bag and was surprised to see Granger sitting at her desk, clearly waiting for her return.

"Harry told me you had some trouble getting up to the common room last night," Granger explained in an unsure voice. "I thought we could walk together down to the Great Hall. We may even have some classes together. I could help you navigate."

Gemini looked quizzically at Granger, trying to determine what the girl's ulterior motive was.

As though sensing the oncoming rejection, Granger added, "And I really do not want to sit anywhere near Ronald or Parvati."

'There it is,' thought Gemini. Perhaps it was the byproduct of having been raised by a couple of Slytherins or maybe it was just the time she had spent living amongst the most manipulative of Slytherins during the Dark Lord's reign, but Gemini found it hard to trust anyone who's internal motivations she did not understand. In her experience, everyone wanted something from you and the more adamantly they guarded those motivations, the more sinister they ultimately were.

"Alright, Granger," Gemini replied slowly. "Let me grab my bag and we can head down."

"It's Hermione," replied Granger automatically.

"I'm sorry?" questioned Gemini. She already felt ridiculous – she, a former Death Eater, walking into the Great Hall with one third of the Golden Trio by her side. Certainly the girl wasn't proposing that they be on a first name basis? People would think they were friends!

"My first name is Hermione. I prefer you use it. I already call your brother 'Malfoy' so I can't very well call you the same. That would be rather confusing. And if I'm to call you by your first name, then I think it's only fair that you call me by mine," she explained.

Gemini rolled her eyes internally at 'Hermione's clear lack of understanding of the social intricacies of their situation. She decided to test the other girl's resolve.

"And you're not at all concerned about what being on a first name basis with a Death Eater may do to your reputation?" pressed Gemini.

" _Former_ Death Eater," Hermione corrected. "And, to be honest, I've long given up hope of pleasing everyone in this castle, let alone magical society. Let them talk – seems to be about all most people are good for these days."

Gemini was inwardly impressed by Granger's response. The girl was obviously not someone to be crossed, if the conniving glint in her eye was anything to go by.

"Touché," replied Gemini. "I suppose the fact that your ex-boyfriend hates me is just an added bonus of this little alliance?"

"Oh, most definitely," smiled Hermione. Grabbing her bag off her own desk she turned back to Gemini and added, "But don't make the mistake of thinking Ronald is the only reason I'm speaking with you. I think you and I have the potential to become great friends."

"Let's just get through breakfast. We can negotiate the terms of any future 'friendship' later," Gemini smirked and headed out the door

Predictably, the Great Hall had not reacted well to Hermione Granger walking in and sitting down with Gemini Malfoy. The bleary-eyed audience had taken a moment to recognize the situation, but, by the time the girls were comfortably seated together at the end of the Gryffindor table, a dull roar of whispers had erupted. Further down the Gryffindor table, the face of a certain red haired eighth year was quickly going from red to purple as he sputtered incoherently his outrage. Hermione stoically ignored all of this and buttered her toast with orange marmalade.

"So, Gemini," Hermione began. "Which NEWTS will you be taking?"

Gemini swallowed the bite of eggs she'd just taken, dabbed the corner of her mouth with her napkin, and responded, "Well, I'm not exactly sure."

"Not sure? Certainly they asked for your input on your class schedule when they transferred you here?" Hermione pressed.

'It's too early for this,' thought Gemini, as she chewed another bite of her breakfast and stalled for time. Letting her gaze drift further down the table, she stared covetously at a plate of steaming cinnamon rolls. She did not want to go into the details of her sentencing with Hermione Granger, but she did want one of those cinnamon rolls. Life was so unfair some times.

"Yes, Shacklebolt did inquire about my NEWT preferences," Gemini began. "I specified an interest in taking NEWT Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense."

"Those are all great choices," replied Hermione, as she followed Gemini's gaze toward the sweet dish just out of reach. "Are you concerned your marks from Beauxbatons won't qualify you?"

"It's not that—"

Gemini cut off when she noticed that Hermione was levitating a cinnamon roll down the Gryffindor table in their direction.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing, Granger?" exclaimed Gemini.

"You wanted one," replied Hermione simply.

"I never asked for one," Gemini argued.

"No, but you wanted it. We attend a school for magic, I hardly think floating a pastry at the breakfast table is frowned upon," Hermione finished, dropping the warm sweet onto Gemini's plate.

"Seriously, no self-preservation instinct," muttered Gemini as she picked up her fork and started into the stolen pastry. The conversation about NEWTS was cut short by a floating stack of timetables zipping down the length of the Gryffindor table and dropping student schedules at each seat.

Picking up the parchment which had narrowly missed a messy landing on her breakfast plate, Gemini looked at her schedule.

 _ **Monday – Wednesday – Friday**_

 _1_ _st_ _Period: NEWT Charms (G/H)_

 _2_ _nd_ _Period: Self Study (G/S)_

 _3_ _rd_ _Period: Herbology (G/R)_

 _4_ _th_ _Period: NEWT Transfiguration (G/H)_

 _ **Tuesday – Thursday**_

 _1_ _st_ _Period: NEWT Potions (G/S)_

 _2_ _nd_ _Period: Muggle Studies (G/R)_

 _3_ _rd_ _Period: Self Study (G/H)_

 _4_ _th_ _Period: NEWT DADA (G/S)_

"What do the letters after the class name mean?" asked Gemini, as she studied her schedule. She was pleased to see that, though Kingsley had expressed some concern, it looked like none of the NEWT professors had barred her from their classes.

"The letters indicate which houses are primarily in the lesson. For smaller classes though, such as NEWT Arithmacy, it's usually a mix of all four houses," Hermione replied. Snatching Gemini's schedule from her hands, she continued, "Looks like we're in all the same NEWT level classes. We have Charms with the Hufflepuffs first. We can walk together. I'll point you towards the greenhouses after if you like, I've got NEWT Herbology right after Charms."

Watching Hermione nibble on her toast and ramble on about her schedule made Gemini realize the muggleborn girl was going to take some getting used to. Typically, no one just 'snatched' anything away from her and, if they did, they knew they would be sorry. Gemini restrained her impulse to deride Hermione, as she could tell the girl meant no harm and, further, she suspected this forwardness came with the territory of being friends with a Gryffindor. How she herself had been placed in this house, Gemini truly did not understand.

Further discussion about their timetables was halted by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind Gemini. Turning to see who could possibly want to speak with her, Gemini's face lit up at the sight of her brother standing uncomfortably behind her.

"Draco! How was your first night back? Where is your timetable? Let me see what classes we have together," Gemini let out in a rush, feeling suddenly giddy at being reunited with Draco. She hadn't been sure what the politics of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin being seen together were, even for family, so she was relieved to find that at least interacting in the Great Hall wasn't off limits.

Draco lifted an eyebrow at his sister's exuberance. Gemini was typically the more emotionally restrained of the two of them – clearly the Gryffindors were already beginning to rub off on her. Ignoring his sister's demands, Draco moved his gaze from Gemini to Granger who had stopped eating her croissant and was instead tearing it into tiny pieces as she observed the interaction of the Malfoy twins.

"Interesting seat choice, Granger," Draco commented with a smirk. "The Weasel banish you from your usual spot with Potty and gang?"

Hermione felt her chest and neck begin to turn red as she glared scornfully at Draco. "I'll have you know that I am perfectly welcome at the other end of this table. I chose to sit with Gemini because she's new and needs help navigating the castle," Hermione huffed.

"Draco, leave her alone," demanded Gemini, her cold persona back in place. The twins stayed locked in a short staring match, as though they were wordlessly communicating something, before finally Draco gave a sharp nod and turned back to Hermione.

"You must forgive my lack of manners this morning, Granger. I am a bit protective of Gemini, is all," Draco apologized grudgingly.

Hermione was stunned into silence by Draco's sudden change in attitude. Never in her life had Draco Malfoy apologized to her. Not once. She would be sure to mark this date in her diary as the day hell froze over.

"Whatever," replied Hermione skeptically as she returned her attention back to her massacred breakfast.

Sensing that interaction was over, Draco took the timetable from in front of Gemini and began comparing their schedules.

"Looks like we have the same Self Study on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays and the same NEWT Potions and Defense classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays," observed Draco. "Wait for me in the Charms corridor after your first period and I will show you where the library is. I'll walk you down to the Greenhouses for your Herbology lesson after our Self Study."

"Hermione had offered to show me the way to the Greenhouses, but it sounds like this will work better," mused Gemini. "Hermione, you won't be offended if Draco walks me to Herbology instead, will you?"

"Not at all," replied Hermione, who had pulled out her Charms text and was already absorbed in the lesson material for their first class.

The sound of hundreds of beating wings filled the air and Gemini looked up to see owls swooping in from the rafters above carrying letters and packages of all sizes.

"That'll be the morning post," explained Hermione as Pigwidgeon, the dumb but cute Weasley owl, skidded to a halt in front of her and she untied two letters from his leg and fed him a bit of egg. Letters delivered and treat eaten, Pig swooped down to the other end of the Gryffindor table to deliver his remaining goods to the Weasley siblings.

A plain looking barn owl swooped overhead and dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of Hermione as well, but did not bother to stay for a treat before it continued its journey back towards the open windows in the rafters.

Lastly, a large, tawny Eagle Owl carrying two letters swooped down and landed gracefully in front of Gemini.

"Thank you, Viribus," said Gemini as she untied the letters from his leg. "Here, have some bacon, but don't tell mum!"

The owl eagerly took the offered bacon and, after nuzzling its head against Gemini's hand and giving a nod of acknowledgement to Draco, it took off back towards Wiltshire.

Gemini handed the letter addressed to Draco to him and said, "I'll wait for you after Charms, Draco. You better go eat some breakfast now, before your Slytherin mates begin to think you're trying to transfer houses."

Draco scoffed at the mention of his 'Slytherin mates', but nodded his assent and headed back towards the far end of the Slytherin table where he had sat the night before. Gemini frowned slightly on seeing that Draco was once again seated alone, but returned her attention to the letters in front of her. She pocketed the letter from her mother, as she would prefer to read it away from prying eyes. The other letter, Gemini opened slowly, wondering what the Weasley Matriarch could want from her after having so recently parted.

 _Dear Gemini,_

 _Congratulations on being sorted in Gryffindor! Headmistress McGonagall thought it prudent that, as your legal guardian, I be informed of your sorting at the earliest. Though I'm sure Gryffindor is not the house you had in mind, I do hope you will give it a chance. Some of the best years of my life were spent living in Gryffindor Tower and I believe this sorting could be good for you. I shall begin knitting you a red and gold scarf at once – can't have you ill equipped for the first Quidditch match of the season, after all!_

 _Please write to tell Arthur and I how your first days at Hogwarts go. We are most anxious to hear from you._

 _Warm Regards,_

 _Molly Weasley_

 _P.S. If either of my children give you or Draco a hard time, let me know at once. I gave them each a stern warning before they boarded the train, but I fear they inherited my Prewett stubbornness._

Gemini cringed at the prospect of receiving a hand-made, red and gold scarf from Mrs. Weasley, but supposed there truly was no way to quell the woman's affection.

"Gemini," spoke Hermione wearily, interrupting her train of thought. "I think you should take a look at this."

Turning her attention to the stubborn brunette, Gemini saw that Hermione was holding out the Daily Prophet for her attention. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of Gemini's stomach, as she took the offered paper and opened to the front page. Taking in the headline, Gemini felt the weight that had settled in her stomach begin to twist and the breakfast she had so recently eaten threaten to make a reappearance.

Skeeter had, of course, chosen the first day of classes to publish part two of her hateful 'Unknown Malfoy' series and this time, she had chosen to slander Gemini and the Malfoy family in a more insidious way. Somehow, the vile woman had gotten her hands on family photographs, some of which Gemini remembered being taken, but many she did not. The 'photo essay', as Skeeter called it took up the entire front page of the paper and appeared to move in chronological order, beginning with pictures of her and Draco as infants and ending with pictures of each of them at their trials and then a couple paparazzi shots of them boarding the Hogwarts Express.

The first photo was the same photo Gemini had just last night placed on her nightstand. It was the photo of their mother holding her and Draco in her arms and rocking them to sleep. The photo was captioned 'Malfoy Matriarch lulls her premature babies to sleep, thanking Merlin You-Know-Who remains unaware of her deception'. Gemini let out an indignant huff at the creative license Skeeter took with the photo's caption, but continued her perusal of the photographs.

The next photo showed Gemini, about three or four years old at the time, running through a poppy field on the Manor grounds being chased by Draco. The caption read, 'Carefree Malfoy children at play before the resurgence of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'. As the photos progressed and she and Draco grew older, the contents became more sinister and Gemini felt her hands holding the paper begin to shake.

"Impossible," whispered Gemini to herself as she looked on the last set of photographs. She knew no one could possibly have taken the pictures. They were private moments, most of which occurred at the Manor, away from the prying eyes of the public and shameless paparazzi.

A photo of Gemini and Lucius in a heated argument, picture Gemini's face red and eyes filled with tears as she screamed at Lucius. Picture Lucius retaliated to his insolent daughter's shouts with a sharp back hand that had picture Gemini staggering and catching herself on the edge of his desk. The photo looped and the argument started over.

Gemini remembered that day well. It was the only time Lucius had ever laid a hand on her, but she knew she would never forget it. It had been the night before she and Draco were to return to school for their sixth year. Draco had already been given his task and Lucius had called Gemini to his study to demand that she assist Draco in any way possible and that she not shirk her responsibilities to her family and to their cause simply because she was 'off gallivanting in France.' Gemini had spat back that the only reason she was in France was because of him and that he couldn't order her to do anything. Gemini screamed at him that it was his fault that she and Draco no longer answered to him, but to their 'Lord'. That had been the comment that spurred Lucius' hand into action.

Of course, the photo did not show the immense look of regret which overtook Lucius' face in the moments following his assault. Nor did it catch the way he had grasped her tightly even as she struggled to be free of his grasp and apologized over and over to her. Gemini knew in her heart that her father loved her, but he had no concept of how to express that love and even less understanding of how to do so without compromising his family's safety. With the Dark Lord living in their home, Lucius was powerless and he was overwrought with anger because of this.

"This isn't a photograph," whispered Gemini to herself. "This is a memory."

The photo was captioned simply, 'Malfoy heir at odds with her father'.

The next couple photos were taken last year, during what would have been her seventh year of schooling. Having been barred from returning to school by the Dark Lord and instructed to train under her Aunt Bellatrix, the photos depicted some of her tutelage. In one of the photos, picture Gemini stood tall next to her Aunt Bellatrix in Diagon Alley, while her Aunt shouted orders to a couple Death Eaters who then proceeded to smash the window of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and run inside, the bright lights of curses reflecting off picture Gemini's face as she watched with a mask of cold indifference upon her face.

Again, Gemini found it hard to believe anyone had captured this photo, as the Alley had been all but deserted that day. It had to be another memory, but how?

The last photograph to catch Gemini's eye made her heart skip a beat and a lump form in her throat. Taken out of chronology, most probably for effect, the photo was from the night of her marking. Picture Gemini twisted her head to her left and her stony face crumpled into a look of anguish at something occurring just beyond the photograph. Picture Gemini turned her attention back to the scene playing out in front of her and shouted something at a battered looking woman who was being restrained by two large Death Eaters. The woman said something in response and immediately picture Gemini's face turned to stone and she raised her wand and clearly said the killing curse, though the photo looped after the word 'Avada'.

During her review of the article, the Great Hall had slowly descended into silence and, when Gemini looked up again, all eyes were trained on her and she was on the receiving end of hundreds of hateful stares. The familiar whooshing sound of her blood pumping filled her ears and Gemini began to see spots, as she stood from the Gryffindor table and rushed out of the Hall towards the nearest girl's bathroom. In the bathroom, she slammed open one of the stalls and immediately emptied the contents of her stomach and continued to dry heave well after her breakfast was gone. Once the nausea subsided, Gemini slid down the wall of the bathroom stall and wiped away the sweat which had formed on her brow.

Sitting with her eyes closed, resting her head against the wall of the dirty stall, Gemini pondered where Skeeter could have dug up those photos and memories. There was only one person Gemini knew of who had access to those kinds of memories of hers, but she was dead, killed during the final battle by none other than Molly Weasley.

Her Aunt Bella's favorite way to train (torture) Gemini was to ravage her mind for weakness displayed in memories. She fed on instances of Gemini's guilt and attempted to stamp it out by making her relive the memories and even creating false memories for Gemini to live over and over. Gemini spent hours in a pensieve reliving her own memories and fabrications from her Aunt Bellatrix. By the end of those sessions, Gemini could barely tell what was real and had, on more than one occasion, had to be convinced by Draco that she had not, in fact, committed some heinous crime her Aunt Bella had convinced her she had. In the mayhem that followed the Dark Lord's defeat, Gemini had never paused to wonder what had become of that pensieve or the memories stored within it. The horrible realization that the images depicted in Skeeter's latest article were nothing compared to the fabrications which the pensieve contained nearly caused Gemini to begin dry heaving again.

"Gemini," called a tentative voice from the doorway. Looking up from her spot on the floor, Gemini spotted Hermione Granger hovering anxiously at the open door to her stall.

Realizing what a mess she must look like, Gemini quickly picked herself up off the bathroom floor and made her way past Granger and over to the sink. Ignoring the other girl, she splashed cold water over her face and rinsed the taste of vomit out of her mouth.

"What Skeeter did isn't right," called Granger from behind her.

"I don't need your pity, Granger," spat Gemini, attempting to pull back up her walls and recover her usual aloof countenance.

"I'm not pitying you," retorted Granger. "I'm merely saying that, as someone who has been on the receiving end of Skeeter's muckraking before, I don't think it's right what she's doing to you. She has no right to expose your personal life and past like that. The war is over and, instead of helping people move on, she is intentionally reopening wounds and inciting hate. If you ask me, the world has had enough hate these past few years to last a lifetime."

Gemini surveyed Granger, trying to discern the authenticity of her claim. Finding no hint of deception, Gemini nodded and replied, "You'll be the only one in the castle who feels that way then."

"Oh, I don't think so," offered Hermione. "I think others can be convinced to move on, if you just give it some time. Ignore those articles and show everyone that you're not the monster she is trying to make you out to be."

"And how do you know I'm not?" scoffed Gemini.

"I just have a feeling," explained Hermione.

"Now come on," she continued, holding out Gemini's forgotten school bag to her. "We're going to be late to Charms if we don't hurry."

Shaking her head at Granger's dedication to her studies, Gemini grabbed the bag Hermione held out and followed the other girl out of the bathroom. She would figure out a way to deal with the issue of Skeeter later, for now she would immerse herself in her studies and try to pretend to be a normal student. That was easier said than done, it seemed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 **Recap:** Gemini and Draco have arrived at Hogwarts, with Draco returning to Slytherin and Gemini being sorted into Gryffindor, much to the dismay of most of Gryffindor house. Skeeter remained oddly silent throughout the remainder of the summer after publishing the first article in her _Unknown Malfoy_ series, but chose to ambush Gemini on her first day of classes with a vicious 'photo essay', displaying some of Gemini's worst memories in photos, some of which Gemini knew were never taken. Hermione has offered Gemini an olive branch, motivated partially by the fact that she is on the outs with Ron due to his cheating with Parvati. In Chapter 14, we find out more about how Gemini is being received in her first day of classes…

 **Chapter 14**

 **September 2** **nd** **, 1998 – Hogwarts**

Hermione and Gemini were the last to arrive to the Gryffindor/Hufflepuff NEWT Charms class and the only empty seats were not together. Hermione shot Gemini an apologetic look before heading towards the empty seat in the first row next to Neville and Gemini turned towards the only remaining seat at the back of the room.

'Bloody brilliant,' sighed Gemini internally when she saw who the empty seat was next to.

"Malfoy," greeted Zacharias Smith snidely. "Murdering innocent muggles make you late this morning?"

Gemini ignored Smith's attempt to provoke her and quietly arranged her parchment and quill on her desk. Smith looked like he was going to start in on her again, but Flitwick cleared his throat to signal the beginning of class.

"Welcome, welcome to your final year of Charms tuition at Hogwarts," began Flitwick. "First, let me start by saying congratulations to you all. To obtain entry into this NEWT level course, each of you had to receive at least an Exceed Expectations on your Charms OWL so I congratulate you on that accomplishment. Second, I want you all to know that this course, much like your NEWT Transfiguration and Defense courses, will not focus on teaching you more advanced charms."

A chorus of whispers and confused glances spread out around the room at this announcement. Having endured Umbridge's theory-only teaching style in the past, they were all sensitive to any attempt to quell the practical portion of their curriculum.

"Do not fret," added Flitwick. "You have attained the knowledge and skills necessary to teach yourself almost any new charm you wish to learn. Therefore, instead of focusing on expanding the list of charms in your arsenal, we will focus on making you more efficient with the ones you already know. The focus of the NEWT Charms curriculum is on non-verbal and, if you're able, wandless, charm use."

A thrum of excitement shot through the room at this news. As several of the students remembered, they had been at a disadvantage during the Battle of Hogwarts because they had to announce the spells they were casting. In contrast, their older opponents were able to surprise them with silent attacks that made defending themselves a challenge.

"We will start with the same spell we started with as first years," continued Flitwick. "Five points to anyone who can tell me what the first spell you learned in this classroom was."

One hand shot into the air, while everyone else stared blankly at Flitwick. Gemini thought the first spell they learned might have been Wingardium Leviosa, because she remembered Draco writing to her to recount a tale of an inept classmate making his feather explode, but she wasn't there so she couldn't be sure.

"Ms. Granger," called Flitwick.

"The first spell we learned was Wingardium Leviosa, sir. We practiced on feathers," offered Hermione.

"Five points to Gryffindor, Ms. Granger," smiled Flitwick.

As soon as Flitwick confirmed that Wingardium Leviosa was the spell they would be practicing, large plume feathers began making their way down the rows of students, dropping one in front of each pupil.

"As we began this course, so shall we end it," started Flitwick. "For the next week, we will be practicing non-verbally levitating objects of various sizes and weights. To do this, focus on the object before you as you normally would and instead of saying the incantation aloud, speak it in your mind. You must be sure to fill your spell with intent, directing your mental incantation towards the object with purpose. Eventually, you will be able to do so without actually having to think the incantation, but we will ease ourselves into this."

Moving to stand in the middle of the room, Flitwick conjured a tall stool and placed it at the center of the lecture area.

"The first student to non-verbally levitate their feather from their seat to this stool will receive twenty house points," offered Flitwick. "You may begin."

Gemini scoffed internally at the simplicity of the task. Her time studying under her Aunt Bella had been brutal but effective and Gemini was confident she could wandlessly and non-verbally cast any spell through the fourth year curriculum and at least non-verbally cast any spell that she had already learned to cast verbally. Wandless application was much more difficult and her struggle to grasp it had been the cause of many of her more torturous sessions with Bellatrix.

'No matter,' thought Gemini. 'I'll wait until someone else, probably Granger, has won the prize and then I will complete the task.'

"Ms. Malfoy," intoned Flitwick. "A moment, please."

A few curious eyes turned her way, but most of her peers were too focused on the challenge before them and ignored Gemini as she made her way towards the front of the room.

"Professor," Gemini greeted once she reached the short man.

Pulling out a white, iridescent box from a desk drawer, Flitwick turned to Gemini. "Ms. Malfoy, it is my understanding that you have been briefed on how you will retrieve and return your wand for classes, is that correct?"

"Yes, Professor," replied Gemini, trying to contain the excitement in her voice as she realized she was about to hold her wand for the first time in months.

"Very well," continued Flitwick. "I think it would be best if you endeavored to arrive early to your classes so as to retrieve your wand with a minimum of fuss and perhaps stayed a few moments after class to return it. I have noticed your peers have been less than welcoming toward you and hope to keep these exchanges as discreet as possible."

"Of course, Professor," answered Gemini, equally eager to keep her lack of a wand discreet.

With a nod, Flitwick touched his right forefinger to the metal clasp at the center of the box and the hinge snapped open. Offering the box to Gemini, Flitwick lifted the lid to reveal her wand resting on a pillow of red velvet.

Gemini felt a stronger pull than ever before to the dark wand, as though the object was crying out to her after months of disuse. Staggering forward a bit at the pull, Gemini grasped her wand tightly and felt a wave of relief wash over her body. It felt like saying hello to an old friend and the sensation was not dissimilar to what she had felt the first time she had held her wand in Ollivander's wand shop years ago.

 **August 1991 – Diagon Alley**

Gemini seethed internally as the family of four made its way through a crowded Diagon Alley towards Ollivander's wand shop. An owl order had allowed Narcissa to avoid a trip to le Quartier Magique to collect Gemini's textbooks, but the wand fitting had to be done in person and Lucius insisted that Ollivander's had the best wands. Though she was excited to purchase her first wand, the sight of her Beauxbatons textbooks that morning had put Gemini in a foul mood and she fully intended to take it out on her parents.

A bell rang as the family entered the old wand shop and Gemini took a short break from brooding to observe her peculiar surroundings. The small shop was lined from floor to ceiling with long, narrow wand boxes and the area behind the counter appeared to serve as both a fitting area and workshop with measuring tools, wood scraps, and parchment littering the work surfaces.

The shopkeeper, who Gemini supposed was Mr. Ollivander, was boxing up a wand for a scrawny-looking, dark haired boy with glasses as the family made its way into the shop.

"Ah, the Malfoy family, welcome! I'm just finishing up with Mr. Potter here, then I'll be all yours." greeted Mr. Ollivander.

"Potter?" questioned Lucius with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, sir," the boy replied politely. "I'm Harry Potter. Mr. Ollivander was just helping me find a wand for Hogwarts."

Before Lucius could fathom a reply, Gemini interjected excitedly, "How'd it go? Did it hurt? Draco told me it hurts and only the toughest witches and wizards can bare the pain. I'm tough though so I expect I'll be alright."

Harry chuckled lightly at the unknown girl's exuberance and answered, "It didn't hurt at all. Took some time to find the right match, but that's about it."

"Gemini, stop pestering the boy," admonished Lucius.

Turning back to Harry, Lucius continued, "Welcome back to the wizarding world, Mr. Potter. As I'm sure you know, you did us all a _great_ service when you were just a small baby. Draco here will be attending Hogwarts at the start of term as well. I'm sure you will become good friends."

Harry's reply was cut off by a tapping at the shop window and the group turned to see a large, beast of a man standing outside the shop with an owl and waving happily at Harry.

"I better go," said Harry as he handed Mr. Ollivander the galleons for his wand. "It was nice to meet you," he added politely to her father as he made his way to the door.

With his body half outside the door, Harry turned back to the family and, looking at Gemini, offered, "And don't worry about the fitting. You'll do great!"

The bell jingled as the door swung shut and the small shop was quiet for a moment before Mr. Ollivander spoke up.

"A fitting for two, I take it?" Mr. Ollivander asked with a smile towards Draco and Gemini.

"Yes," agreed Lucius stiffly, looking a bit perturbed after their unexpected encounter with the Boy Who Lived.

'I can't believe I just met the freaking Boy Who Lived and all I had to say was did the wand fitting hurt,' Gemini moaned internally. 'How embarrassing!'

"I want to go first!" exclaimed Draco, shoving Gemini to the side roughly as he charged towards the shop counter.

"Draco!" admonished their mother, appalled at her son's lack of public decorum.

"He's just excited, Cissy," sighed Lucius, clearly unperturbed by his son's rude behavior. Turning to Mr. Ollivander, he continued, "You may fit Draco first. Gemini is feeling anxious about this process anyway. She can watch Draco's fitting to ease her nerves."

Gemini shot a grateful smile towards her father and stepped closer towards the counter to get a better view of Draco's fitting.

The fitting itself was rather uneventful. Having grown up around magic, Gemini was unimpressed by the flying measuring tape and self-annotating quill. Equally unimpressive and uninformative was the constant stream of gibberish Mr. Ollivander kept muttering as he observed the measurements.

"Let's see, let's see…" pondered Mr. Ollivander as he began perusing one of the many shelves of wand boxes. "Let's try… this one," he muttered as he turned back to the family.

"What am I to do with it?" asked Draco.

"I suggest you do nothing with it, dear boy, unless it chooses you," replied Ollivander cryptically as he handed the wand to Draco and snatched it back just as quickly.

"Not cherry wood then," Ollivander muttered as he marked something down on a bit of parchment and began perusing the shelves again.

With a sigh, Gemini admitted to herself that the wand fitting was an altogether dull process and turned her attention away from her brother towards the busy alley beyond the shop window.

Catching sight of the Magical Menagerie across the way, Gemini was reminded of the owl the large man had for the Potter boy and made a mental note to demand a familiar after her fitting. She knew her parents found house pets distasteful, but she would use going to Beauxbatons as leverage. She imagined something along the lines of 'But I'll be so lonely without Draco – please don't make me go there all alone!' should do the trick. She hoped for a cat, but would settle for an owl if her parents were particularly stubborn.

An excited shout from Draco pulled Gemini's attention back to the fitting going on behind her.

Striding back towards her family, she peered around Draco to see which wand had chosen him.

"Ten inches, hawthorn, with a unicorn hair core," explained Mr. Ollivander with a smile. "Exceptionally good for healing."

"It's exquisite," admired Narcissa, as she took in the sight of her son's first wand.

Gemini silently agreed that Draco's wand was rather beautiful. It was simple in design with a black handle that faded into a caramel color at the end and high gloss finish and she thought it rather suited him.

"We had hoped for a dragon heartstring core, Mr. Ollivander," intoned Lucius threateningly.

Draco hung his head at his father's disappointment as Mr. Ollivander relied stiffly, "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Malfoy, not the other way around. This unicorn wand chose your son for a reason as yet unseen. I do apologize, but I won't be able to refit him."

Lucius appeared to want to argue further but thought better of it before gently pushing Gemini forward, "Your turn, Gemini."

Draco stepped down from the fitting stool and sulked over to the shop window, all prior enthusiasm forgotten as he dwelled on his father's disappointment.

As they did with Draco, the measuring tapes began whizzing around Gemini, taking standard measurements of her arms, legs, and height and then proceeding to take more unusual measurements, such as the length of her nose and width of her feet. Gemini stood silent through the fitting, wondering why her father had been hoping for a dragon wand for Draco.

'It must be his name,' thought Gemini. 'Obviously, father hoped Draco's wand core might match his namesake.'

"Tell me, Ms. Malfoy," Mr. Ollivander spoke, interrupting her train of thought. "Which hand is your dominant?"

"My right," answered Gemini immediately.

"Good, good," replied Ollivander, making a note on his parchment. "And what is your favorite color?"

"Plum, sir," Gemini answered warily, unsure why a color would impact wand choice.

Nodding slightly, Ollivander appeared to consider a few wands from a pile behind him before selecting one and offering it to her handle first.

"Nine and three quarter inches, holly, dragon heartstring," supplied Ollivander by way of explanation.

Gemini reached to take the wand from Ollivander, but as her hand neared the wand it shot across the room, as though running from her touch.

"Not that one then," supplied Ollivander as he made a couple notes and returned to his perusal of the shelves.

Countless wands later, Gemini had tried wands as short as 7 inches and as long as 14, wands of holly, hawthorn, aspen, birch, oak, vine, pine, and cherry, along with every combination of wand core.

"Maybe you're a muggle, Gem," teased Draco from his seat at the shop window.

"Shut it, prat," Gemini sneered. Internally, though, she was growing worried.

"Don't fret, my dear," Mr. Ollivander encouraged. "I once spent eighteen hours on a fitting for a poor boy who was ambidextrous. We'll find your fit."

"And was his wand especially powerful?" asked Gemini hopefully.

"Oh, no," laughed Ollivander. "A common beech and unicorn. I'd forgotten where I placed my ambidextrous wands though and it took ages to track them down."

"Not a very reassuring story then, is it?" remarked Gemini dryly, irritated with Ollivander's nonchalance.

Ollivander looked thoughtfully at his notes and the clutter of rejected wands for a moment, before appearing to have a sudden realization.

"That's it!" he exclaimed as he moved purposefully towards the back of the shop, climbed a ladder to the very top of the last set of shelves, and pulled out a slender wand box covered in a thick layer of dust.

"It's not often I find a good fit for a wand like this, but something tells me you might just be the one," remarked Ollivander as he dusted off the box and pulled out a straight, jet black wand with ripples up the shaft.

"What sort of wand is that?" questioned Gemini, having only seen wands with smooth surfaces.

"10 inches, blackthorn, dragon heartstring," answered Ollivander. "The ripples on the shaft are the remnants of thorns. You see, some blackthorn wands come with thorns intact, but I've found that removing the thorns does not impact the wand's power and results in a wand which sits much more comfortably in its owner's pocket."

"I should think so," replied Gemini, grimacing at the thought of her wand stabbing her with each use.

"Give it a go then, dear," pressed Ollivander, offering Gemini the wand.

As soon as her fingers touched the handle, Gemini felt a tingling warmth wash over her body, as though she had stepped under a warm faucet. The wand emitted a soft hum as she held it and the candles in the room burned brighter.

"A subdued reaction for a subdued wand," noted Ollivander. "This is the one then."

"Well done, Gemini," praised Lucius as he admired the wand over her shoulder. "This is the sort of wand that will take you places. Wrap it up, Mr. Ollivander."

"Of course, sir," replied Ollivander as he looked dubiously between the wand, Gemini, and her father.

Placing the wand back in its box and into a bag, Ollivander handed the purchase to Gemini and leaned closer to whisper, "Do remember, Ms. Malfoy, that it is the nature of the witch that dictates the nature of the wand, not the other way around."

Sparing the old shopkeeper an odd glance for his cryptic words, Gemini followed her family out of the shop and quickly forgot about the strange encounter as she once again caught sight of the Magical Menagerie.

 **September 2** **nd** **, 1998 – Hogwarts**

As promised, Draco had been waiting for her outside the classroom when her Charms lesson finished and they had walked to the library together. In a remote corner of the massive library, Gemini unloaded on her brother, heaving heavy sobs into his robes as he rubbed her back soothingly and assured her that Skeeter would not get away with targeting Gemini.

"I'm scared, Draco," admitted Gemini as she attempted to stifle her sobs and used her robe sleeve to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Scared?" her brother questioned. "Whatever for? All Skeeter can do is turn public opinion against you and since when have you care about the opinion of the public?"

"It's not public opinion I'm worried about," Gemini replied. "Those pictures… Don't you find it odd that she would happen to have photos of events we know for certain were never photographed? Our marking, for example."

"So she paid off a paroled Deatheater for memories and used some clever magic to extract images," explained Draco. "Skeeter is a right bitch and would do something like that."

"No," Gemini protested. "That might explain the marking photo, but what about the image of father striking me? There were two people present for that event and one of them is currently serving a five year term in Azkaban without visitation privileges."

"Those were my memories," Gemini insisted.

Draco continued to rub her back as he pondered his sister's words. It was true, some of the images couldn't have been second hand, but there was simply no other explanation.

"How could she possibly have your memories, Gem?" asked Draco doubtfully.

Gemini was silent for a moment as she considered her response. She didn't want to worry her brother, as she knew he was dealing with his own demons and having issues enough trying to reassimilate into Slytherin house. Did she really want to unload the full weight of her problems on him? More than that, if her current theory held, then someone had been inside the manor and stolen those memories. Their mother was currently alone serving her house arrest at the manor and such a breach in security was extremely worrisome.

With a deep breath, Gemini made a decision and replied, "You're right, of course. I'm being silly. There's absolutely no way she could have my memories."

"Right," nodded Draco, finally releasing her from his embrace.

"So have you opened your letter from Mother?" Gemini asked, turning the subject away from her issues with Skeeter. For now, she decided, it would be best to attempt to manage the situation herself.

"Yes," Draco replied. "She offered the same general platitudes she always offers at the start of term and added that we need to look out for each other this year. She made no mention of Skeeter's article, just talked about how she misses us and has taken up gardening."

"No mention of the article? Really?" asked Gemini in frustration. "You think perhaps she's not receiving the Prophet?"

"Doubtful," scoffed Draco. "If it was me locked away on house arrest with no one for company and nary a floo privilege, I'd be soaking in all the news I could get. I'd probably even stoop to subscribing to the Quibbler for entertainment."

Pulling her forgotten letter from her pocket, Gemini broke the emerald Malfoy crest wax seal and opened the letter to see what her mother had to say.

 _My dearest Gemini,_

 _I hope your trip to Hogwarts was uneventful and made up, at least in part, for the fact that you did not get to make the journey years ago. It's too quiet at the Manor without you and Draco here – I've taken to spending most of my time outside in the gardens, as the silence inside is rather unsettling. I was thinking the other day that I may undertake the task of redecorating the Manor, what do you think? I know a fresh coat of paint won't erase the atrocities that occurred here, but I do believe a lighter, brighter color scheme and style could make this place more welcoming. I think I'll start with the second floor library and perhaps continue with the family archives._

 _I know you are likely displeased by my lack of response to your previous letter regarding Ms. Skeeter's accusations, but I fear that is a conversation best had in person. I will tell you all I know, when the time is right. Until then, know that Rita Skeeter is a horrible woman who relies on sensationalism to sell papers. My advice to you and to Draco is to keep your heads down this next year and ignore whatever tripe is printed in the Daily Prophet._

 _Most importantly, be sure to stay close to your brother. By now I know you will have been sorted into Slytherin so, whenever possible, travel the halls with your brother and go nowhere alone. You may think this to be an overabundance of caution, but I have reason to believe this is necessary. And remember, apart we are weak, but together we are strong. Sanctimonia Vincet Semper._

 _All my love,_

 _Your Mother_

"That's an odd letter," intoned Draco from over her shoulder.

"Yes," agreed Gemini. "Starting with the fact that there is no second floor library and Mother hasn't entered the family archives in years. It sounds as though she is trying to tell me something she doesn't feel safe putting in a letter."

"And what's with her sign off? Sanctimonia Vincet Semper? It was Father who always drilled the Malfoy family motto into our heads, not Mother. It sounds completely false coming from her," added Draco.

The twins sat in silence for a while, each individually pondering the puzzle before them and before long a chime sounded in the library indicating the end of the period.

"I suppose we won't be finding any answers today," sighed Gemini as she collected her things. After a moment of consideration and a look around to ensure there were no prying eyes, she duplicated the letter with a quick _Duplicare_ and handed to copy to Draco.

"For future reference," explained Gemini.

With a nod, Draco folded the letter and placed it in his bag. Motioning towards the library doors, Draco led his twin silently to the Greenhouses, each of them caught up in their own thoughts of recent events.

 **A/N:** Let me start with an apology – I know I promised a mid-September update and then delivered radio silence. In addition to being crazy busy over the last few months, I took a step back from this story to figure out exactly where I'm headed. I've had this chapter done for a while and have been making modifications as I ironed out some plot details. That said, I've also been pretty disappointed by the number of reviews I've received to date. It's hard to feel motivated to post with any urgency without some reassurance that my readers want more. SO… I'll make you guys a deal. Chapter 15 is written and ready to be posted (with some good Harry/Gemini interaction!). I will post it as soon as I received TEN (10) reviews for Chapter 14. Until then, I plan to hold Chapter 15 hostage. Sorry, but dems the rules. Lastly, I know it probably seems like September 2nd drags on forever, but I'm packing a lot of interaction into Gemini's first day of classes. I plan to accelerate the story very soon, just hang in there!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer** : I do not now, nor will I ever, own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It's JK Rowling's world, I just like to play in it.

 **Chapter 15**

 **September 2** **nd** **, 1998 – Hogwarts**

Gemini made it through the remainder of the day relatively without incident. Stone mask in place, she steadfastly ignored the hateful remarks and glares she received from her classmates and concentrated on acting as though she was completely indifferent to their attention. Internally, she regretted storming out of the Great Hall that morning as she realized her reaction only added fuel to their fire. If her peers knew they could affect her then they would continue to pour their energy into making her life hell. If she ignored them, then they would grow bored with their assault and back off. That's what she hoped, at least.

Shaking Granger after their NEWT Transfiguration class had been a challenge, as the girl was quite concerned for Gemini's wellbeing after the events of that morning. Gemini reassured her though that she had plans to meet with Draco and he would likely not appreciate Granger's presence. Not eager to deal with the other Malfoy, Granger quickly agreed to see her in the common room later and headed to the library.

Gemini let out a sigh of relief as Granger disappeared around the corner and headed down the steps of the school's main entrance towards the quidditch pitch. She had no plans to meet Draco and had just wanted an excuse to be alone for a while. Granger was nice enough, but she treated Gemini as though she was fragile and made her feel smothered.

"Why does she even care?" Gemini muttered to herself as she trudged through the muddy grounds to the pitch. It had rained heavily the night before and the grounds were littered with puddles of varying sizes, foot paths from students moving to and from their Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology classes clearly evident.

She reached the pitch without a problem and climbed the wooden bleachers into the Slytherin stands. After a quick look around to be sure she was alone, Gemini dried the seat in front of her with a short flick of her wrist and a non-verbal _Relinquit Aquam_. With a sigh, Gemini sat and let the events of the day wash over her. She had long realized that the only way to live with and process everything she had been through was by taking out each horrific experience one by one and examining it thoroughly, compartmentalizing the trauma until the memory and subsequent pain were dull aches rather than all-consuming terrors.

At the start of the war, she had tried ignoring her emotions, ignoring her instincts which screamed that what the Death Eaters were doing – what she was doing – was wrong. Anytime she was forced to do something awful, like torture a fellow Death Eater or threaten Diagon Alley shop owners, she would push the experience to a dark corner of her mind that she never visited and pretend the entire event never took place at all. That dark corner filled up quickly though and the memories stored there began to overflow into her dreams, turning the few restful moments Gemini was able to steal into her own personal nightmare. When the nightmares became too much, she began relying on steady doses of Pepper-up to avoid sleep and avoid the torment.

Hours of dueling practice with her Aunt Bella followed by little or no sleep had led quite predictably to disaster.

 **March 1997 – Malfoy Manor**

"Get up, you useless brat!" screamed Bellatrix as she closed in on Gemini's crumpled form.

The smallest ballroom in the Manor had been converted to a training room over which Bellatrix ruled like some sort of queen with her husband, Rodolphus, as her servant.

"I believe she has passed out, my sweet," declared Rodolphus.

Rolling her eyes at her husband's astute observation, Bellatrix approached Gemini to cast a _Renervate_ and continue her niece's training. The soft rise and fall of Gemini's chest and her relaxed expression caused Bellatrix's face to twist into an evil smirk and glee to sparkle in her eyes.

"Tisk, tisk," Bella began. "It looks like we're not entertaining enough for little Gemini, my dear. The girl appears to have fallen asleep on us."

As realization dawned for Rodolphus, his expression morphed to match his deranged wife's and he replied, "Well then we'll have to remind her of just how entertaining her favorite aunt and uncle can be."

" _Renervate_!" shouted Bellatrix, pointing her crooked wand at her niece.

Gemini gasped awake, shocked by her abrupt departure from the first dreamless sleep she'd experienced in months. Her sudden awakening coupled with the after-effects of the Cruciatus she had endured prior to falling asleep left her disoriented and Gemini voiced her confusion before allowing herself a moment to take in the scene.

"Wh-what happened?" stuttered Gemini, as she tried to get her bearings.

"Wh-what happened?" mocked Bella in a high pitched, stuttering imitation of Gemini. "What happened is you – ungrateful, lazy brat that you are – fell asleep during your training."

Gemini's eyes widened and she sat up quickly, trying in vain to back away from her crazy aunt and uncle who were slowly approaching her like circling vultures.

"I-I didn't mean to," Gemini tried to explain as a slow trickle of dread made its way down her spine and her fear became so palpable she was convinced her deranged relatives could smell it.

"Of course you didn't, dear," replied Bella in a soothing voice of mock understanding. "But you must understand that we cannot allow this transgression to go unpunished. What sort of example would that set?"

"Please –" gasped Gemini as Rodolphus moved in quickly, grabbing her roughly by the arms and dragging her, half standing half falling, to the back wall of the training room.

"I've been looking for someone to try my new toy on," began Bellatrix as she pulled a coiled, silver rope from one of her many dress pockets. As she unfurled the rope, the silver began to glow and Gemini could feel the hum and crackle of dark magic fill the air in the small room. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a full description of the effect of the Lasso of Nyx before I killed its previous owner, but I've always found learning by experience to be far more thrilling anyway."

Understanding dawned on Gemini as she stared at the evil object and began to struggle harder against her uncle, pleading for Bellatrix to see reason.

"Enough!" exclaimed Bellatrix, her voice echoing off the stone walls and floor. "Rodolphus, secure her and bare that pretty flesh for me. I want to see my canvas."

Heavy sobs wracked Gemini's body as her uncle muttered _Sectum Seorsum_ and she felt the back of her dress tear apart. One swift pull from Rodolphus and the shredded dress pooled at Gemini's feet. Left in nothing but a strapless black bra and lace panties, Gemini tried to pull away from her uncle to cover herself, but his strength far outstripped hers.

"It's too bad my wife has plans for you already," sneered Rodolphus into Gemini's ear as he twisted her around and pushed her face first into the stone wall, crushing his front to her back. "I can think of a few ways I'd like to punish this tight little body."

"Quit toying with her, Rodolphus," admonished Bellatrix. "Cissy would never forgive me if I let you taint her perfect daughter."

'Oh, but you expect she'll forgive you for mutilating me?' Gemini seethed internally as her uncle moved to secure her wrists to metal shackles. She could feel the evidence of his arousal pressed into her backside as he secured her to the wall and knew that, if she made it out of this punishment alive, she would need to avoid being alone with him in the future.

"Let's lose this bra too. Bella needs a blank canvas for her work," sneered Rodolphus as he unhooked her bra and let it slide to the floor.

Gemini gasped as her nipples came into contact with the cold stone wall and her uncles hands briefly grazed the undersides of her breasts before he pushed away and turned to stand behind Bellatrix like a loyal dog.

Standing almost completely nude with her back to her tormentors, Gemini felt her body begin to shake uncontrollably as her fear took over. She mentally agonized over her lack of control, but was helpless to rein in her body's natural instincts. For a moment, the only sounds in the room were Gemini's labored breathing and the soft shuffling of Bellatrix's dress as she moved to center herself behind Gemini and angled her body so she could get the maximum leverage from the lasso.

The quiet was over too soon though and before Gemini had fully processed what was about to happen, Bella had raised the white hot Lasso of Nyx above her head and brought it down on Gemini's soft back with a sickening crack.

The scream that filled the room was otherworldly as Gemini felt the lasso tear through her flesh and the accompanying sizzle as the wound burned. Sweat began to pour down Gemini's face, mingling with her tears as she choked on her own pleas. The searing pain and fact that the lash had stolen her breath combined in such a way that Gemini struggled to pull air into her lungs through her constricted throat. The overall effect was that she felt as though she was both drowning and being burned alive.

"Oh, this is delightful," cackled Bellatrix as she pulled the lasso back and released a second blow.

The second blow was the same as the first and Gemini internally pleaded with Merlin and any gods who would listen for the pain to stop, for darkness to overcome her. Merlin and the all the gods ignored her though and she remained stubbornly conscious as her aunt brought the lasso down a third, fourth, and fifth time.

"I think that's enough for today," sighed Bellatrix as she approached Gemini to observe her 'masterpiece'. The blood was warm and sticky as it flowed from the wounds on Gemini's back, over her bum, and down her legs eventually dripping onto the white marble floor. Somewhere around the third or fourth lash, Gemini had reined in her sobs and begun taking huge gulps of air instead, trying to counteract the feeling of drowning that consumed her.

"Exquisite," muttered Bella as she gazed in fascination at her bloody work, tracing one of the lashes with a sharp fingernail. Gemini hissed and twitched beneath Bella's tortuous examination, but lacked the strength to fight back.

"Mopsey!" called Bella once she was through examining her art.

A young female elf appeared with a 'pop' and bowed low to Bellatrix, "Good evening, Mistress Bellatrix. How may Mopsey serve you?"

Without sparing the elf a glance, Bella made way to the door and called over her shoulder, "Take Gemini to her room and clean that blood stain off the marble. When you're finished, I'll take tea in my quarters."

Standing from her bow, Mopsey's eyes widened as she took in the battered state of her young Mistress. She didn't hesitate though as she replied, "Of course, Mistress Bellatrix. Mopsey will take care of this right away."

 **September 2** **nd** **, 1998 – Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch**

Shaking herself from the awful memory of her experience with the Lasso of Nyx, Gemini pulled her cloak tighter around her body. September in the Scottish Highlands was brisk at best and she could feel her nose turning pink as she sat outside without her coat.

With a deep breath, Gemini thought that the incident with the lasso had been a sharp turning point for her in the war. Though she had never bought into the Dark Lord's dogma that muggles posed a threat to wizard-kind and should be eradicated or put in their 'proper' place, she had sympathized with those who held pureblood ideology close and felt that wizards probably were superior to muggles. Having been fed pureblood propaganda from an early age, Gemini knew that muggles could be savage. They apparently had chemicals and weapons that could annihilate entire cities and tools which could stab holes in people from hundreds of meters away. Their world was wracked by poverty and starvation and all manner of propriety seemed to have been tossed out the window, labeled as antiquity.

Mutilation at the hands of her own flesh and blood though had prompted Gemini to question the idea that it was the muggles who were savages. For people who held blood in such high esteem, the Death Eaters showed no compunction about spilling it. Prior to that special 'training' session, Gemini had been content to ride out the war by keeping a low profile and doing only what must be done to survive. The notion of ever turning her back on her family, on the Dark Lord, had seemed out of the question.

Afterwards though, the betrayal she felt and the constant pain she bore from the dark magic the lasso had imbued into her wounds had filled Gemini with a red hot anger and hardened a part of herself she knew was unlikely to ever soften.

Once she was as recovered as she ever would be from the lasso, her lessons had resumed and by then Gemini was ready. She approached each training session as though she was going into battle, her fight instinct on full force. By the time Draco returned to the manor for the summer, traumatized himself over his ordeal with Dumbledore, Gemini had mastered non-verbal, wandless magic and had learned how to lock down her mind tighter than the darkest vaults of Gringotts. Though he internally lamented the death of his sister's innocence, Draco had been grateful Gemini was deemed advanced enough to lead his tuition and that Bellatrix had received an assignment deemed more important.

Returning her thoughts to her ordeal from that morning, Gemini began processing and compartmentalizing the experience.

One thing she knew for certain was that someone had stolen the memories Bellatrix had used during training sessions from her late aunt's quarters at the Manor. With a sigh, she acknowledged that was about all she knew for certain. She had no idea how many of the memories had been taken and whether the perpetrator was able to sort the real memories from the manufactured. She also had no idea who would have been able to do such a thing and, more importantly, why. The why bothered her the most.

During the war, she had done many horrible things to innocent people and she knew her guilt from those actions would be with her forever. After the incident with the lasso, though, she had done a few horrible things that she did want to do, such as passing off several Death Eater losses as Order casualties when in fact they had met an opportunistic end by her own wand.

Luckily or unluckily, depending on how she looked at it, the Wizengamot could only charge her with known offences – offences which were either easily perceived, such as her bearing of the Dark Mark, corroborated by eyewitnesses, such as her actions during the final battle, or admitted to under Veritaserum by other Death Eaters as part of their plea deals. The last was how they knew to charge her with the murder of Addison Meadows. Suffice to say, there was no shortage of people she had wronged who could be out for justice.

The fact that her brother, who had been at Hogwarts for all of his sixth year and later sent back to Hogwarts to help 'maintain order' as a seventh year, was spared during this targeted campaign was evidence enough for Gemini that the perpetrator had to be someone she wronged while working as a 'Lieutenant' for the Dark Lord.

"Suppose I deserve this then," muttered Gemini to the empty pitch.

"Suppose you deserve what?" came a voice from just above her. Looking up, Gemini saw none other than Harry Potter astride his Firebolt looking at her quizzically, clearly awaiting a response.

Sitting up straighter and clearing her face of emotion, Gemini coldly replied, "That's none of your business, Potter."

"I guess not, but you're the one muttering vague statements to the air. I happen to be in the air so excuse me for thinking you were speaking to me," Harry retorted, beginning to feel exasperated by the female Malfoy's cold demeanor.

"What are you doing sitting here in the Slytherin stands anyway? Hoping if you sit here long enough you'll suddenly become a Slytherin?" Harry goaded.

"No, the fates would never be so kind," replied Gemini. In an uncharacteristic bout of talkativeness, she continued, "I merely thought that, should anyone venture out here and find me, they would be less likely to approach me here."

"Ah," acknowledged Harry. "I suppose your right about that. I just came out to get some things ready for quidditch tryouts tomorrow and catch some air. Will you be trying out? I know you flew at the Burrow this summer."

Gemini stared at the Boy Who Lived for a moment, wondering why he was engaging in conversation with her at all. He floated effortlessly in front of her on his broomstick, acting as though the thing was a lounge chair and not a top of the line racing broom. He was still fixing her with a curious stare, clearly awaiting a response.

"Don't be ridiculous," Gemini responded moodily, internally remembering her childhood dream to play Chaser for Slytherin.

"Well you don't have to get an attitude about it," said Harry, sitting up straighter on his broom as though preparing to defend his line of questioning. "I merely asked because we've got quite a few holes to fill on the team this year. Since you're an experienced flier, you should try out."

Unable to stop herself, Gemini let out a loud burst of laughter at this suggestion, feeling tears begin to collect at the corner of her eyes in her mirth. She had initially thought he was trying to mock her, but realizing he was serious was just too much.

Harry, shocked by the sudden outburst of emotion from the typically stoic Malfoy, wobbled on his broom, teetering dangerously between falling onto the muddy pitch three meters below and falling straight into Gemini in the stands.

Reacting on instinct, Gemini reached forward and used a non-verbal, wandless _Statera_ charm to steady the annoying Quidditch Captain.

Mirth squelched and balance restored, Harry and Gemini observed each other quietly for a moment before speaking at the same time.

"How did you—"

"I don't think—"

They both stopped, clearly waiting for the other to go ahead. Gemini cleared her throat and took the opening, "I don't think you want me on your team, Potter."

Harry, who had been about to ask how she had steadied him when he was very clearly about to go bum over tea kettle, fixed her again with a look of curiosity.

"And why wouldn't I want you on my team?" Harry pressed.

With a sigh, Gemini debated simply walking away from the boy. She didn't owe him any explanation and the conversation had gone on far longer than she really felt was decent given who he is and who she is. Magnanimously, she supplied, "Because it wouldn't be good for team morale."

Not waiting for a response, Gemini stood from the stands and set out at a quick stride back to the castle. Unfazed by her brush off, Harry rode his broom steadily next to her and continued his questioning.

"Not good for morale?" Harry pondered out loud. "That's rubbish. Quidditch is immune to the problems of the rest of the world. When we're on the pitch all that matters is the game. This could be a great opportunity for you to meet more Gryffindors!"

Stopping abruptly, just before the main entrance, Gemini whipped around and spat, "Your childlike view of the world is simply unbelievable! You truly have no concept of how much your house hates me and you definitely have no concept of how justified that hatred is. You think I want to be on a broom, thirty meters in the air surrounded by people with bats who hate me? I am not your charity case so take your misguided pity to someone who needs it."

Without another word, Gemini stormed into the castle and away from Harry Potter – the Boy Who Lived to be a Right Pain in the Arse.

 **A/N:** Wow! You guys really came through on the 10 review challenge I threw out yesterday – almost 20 reviews on one chapter! I know that was a dirty trick so I will try not to do it again. I admit it was a moment of weakness that spurred me to demand reviews, but, to be fair, I planned to post this chapter today regardless. It's a little shorter than the previous one and that's because I wrote them at the same time. To be honest, I did not have a clue at the start of this piece where exactly I was going plot-wise. I basically had Gemini stuck in my head along with a ton of backstory for her (which I'm trying to incorporate as flashbacks) and I wanted to give her some airtime. I've discovered the story I wanted to write as I've written it so thanks for hanging in there. I hope you're enjoying the story so far and look forward to hearing more feedback (critical feedback is welcome too!) in your reviews. Happy New Year!


End file.
